The Wimbledon Synagogue

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The Wimbledon Synagogue, officially the Wimbledon and District Synagogue, is a Reform Jewish synagogue in Wimbledon Park, London. It is located at 1 Queensmere Road, Wimbledon Park, London SW19 5QD, England. It is part of the Movement for Reform Judaism and is led by Rabbi Adrian Schell; Rabbi Tony Hammond is the Rabbi Emeritus.

History
- The community began in February 1949 after a meeting at the Wimbledon Hill Hotel. In its first year it had about 60 member families and met in temporary spaces.
- The members decided to build a new synagogue on Worple Road. The foundation stone was laid on 8 April 1951 by Ernest Abelson and Leonard Montefiore, and the synagogue was officially opened on 25 May 1952 by Rabbi Dr Leo Baeck.
- It was based at Worple Road from 1952 until 1997. In September 1997 it moved to its current building, a former 1953 university college building that had belonged to Southlands College (now part of the University of Roehampton). The building also houses Keren’s Nursery.

Current life
- Services are held every Shabbat—Friday evening and Saturday morning—and on all Jewish festivals. The services are egalitarian; men and women sit together and take an equal role.
- The synagogue runs a cheder and educational programs for children and young people, plus arts, cultural events, workshops and talks.
- It houses three libraries: the David Nathan Library (about 2,000 books), the Harry Urban Holocaust Library, and a children's collection. The libraries use the Leo Baeck College classification system. The monthly newsletter is called Kehillah.
- The synagogue features three sets of stained glass windows by Graham Jones, and the 2016 ark doors were designed with Allan Schwarz.

Charity and community
- Wimbledon Synagogue is Fairtrade and has long worked with Faith in Action Merton. It has supported the Merton Night Shelter and helped homeless and marginalised people in the area.
- In 2010, it hosted BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions?, the first time the program was broadcast from a synagogue, timed to mark the 200th anniversary of Reform Judaism worship.