HAMAOR MAGAZINE PESACH 5775

History Updated >>
THE FEDERATION FROM 1887 - 2015
Geoffrey Alderman
In the conclusion to his 1987 publication ‘The
Federation of Synagogues’, Dr Geoffrey Alderman issues
an appeal to the organisation’s leadership to extend a hand
to younger generations of Orthodox Jewry, offering them
the chance to become actively involved in a communal
organisation that has much to offer. This opportunity, he
felt, would provide the Federation with the key to an active,
vibrant and socially relevant future.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and Geoffrey Alderman is
currently in the process of preparing an updated edition of
his book for publication. To a great extent, it seems, his vision
has become reality.
“The Federation has experienced a remarkable renaissance
in recent years,” he comments. “It’s in a far better state now
than it was in 1987, with renewed growth in greater London
and in Manchester and with what is arguably the most
intellectually prestigious Beis Din in Europe.”
Clapton Federation's 'cathedral style' building which was demolished in 2006
“The Federation has experienced a
remarkable renaissance in recent years”
Alderman credits this success to the involvement of younger
members, who are bringing the organisation back to what he
terms its ‘raison d’etre’.
He says: “Lord Samuel Montagu’s model for the Federation
was to provide central services for small kehillos who wished
to retain their independence while enjoying the support of
a communal structure. This is exactly what is happening
today – the younger generations do not want great cathedral
synagogues, they want small, cosy shtiebels in which they can
play a leading role.”
Alderman himself was brought up in a ‘great cathedral
synagogue’ – both his parents and his parents-in-law were
members of Clapton Federation Synagogue on Lea Bridge
Road; he had his bar mizvah there and married his wife
Marion there in 1973. He remains a member to this day.
In 1974, having read history at Oxford and received his PhD,
Alderman embarked on the path that led to his specialisation
in the history and politics of Anglo Jewry.
“My wife and I had taken up residence in Hendon
and during the campaigns that took place in the run
up to the two general elections held that year, I became
very aware of the impact of ‘the Jewish vote’,” he
recalls. “I received a pamphlet through the door from
a prospective local MP referring to Disraeli, the Balfour
declaration and a recent trip to Israel, and it was very
clear that he was reaching out to Jewish voters.”
Alderman realised this was a subject no British
academic had every seriously researched. In 1983 he
published ‘The Jewish Community in British Politics’
followed by a report on the ‘Impact of Ethnic Minorities
in European Communities’, commissioned by the
European Science Foundation. It was after this that
then-President of the Federation, Morris Lederman,
approached him to write a book to mark the forthcoming
centenary of the Federation. The book, 60,000 words
long, was launched at the centenary celebrations at the
Park Lane hotel, Piccadilly and Alderman describes it as
‘a very interesting piece of social and religious history’.
Out of print in recent
years, there has been
renewed interest in the
history of the Federation
from newer, younger
members. However in the
28 years since it hit the
shelves, much has changed
in the publishing world.
30 HAMAOR