The Synagogue Today
Today the Spanish and Portuguese descendant community operates three synagogues. In addition to Bevis Marks, there is Lauderdale Road, which is the administrative headquarters, and a smaller synagogue in Wembley. The community's sheltered housing "Harris Court" and old-age home "Edinburgh House" are located there as well. A number of other Sephardic synagogues in Britain have associated status.
Bevis Marks Synagogue remains the flagship synagogue of the community and indeed of Anglo-Jewry in general. Regular daily, Sabbath morning and Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat services are held. The synagogue remains a favoured venue for weddings and other landmark celebrations.
On Friday 13 November 1998, Lord Levene of Portsoken became the eighth Jewish Lord Mayor of London. An Ashkenazi by birth, Lord Levene's first public act was to walk, with a retinue, from his official residence (Mansion House) to Bevis Marks Synagogue, for the Sabbath Eve service.This was repeated on Friday 12 November 2010 by the then Lord Mayor Michael Bear.
The tercentenary of the synagogue was celebrated in 2001 in the presence of Prince Charles. On 13 June 2007 the 350th anniversary of the readmission of Jews to the British Isles was commemorated by a service at Bevis Marks Synagogue in the presence of Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, the Lord Mayor, and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The synagogue is the only one in Europe which has had continuous services for over 300 years.
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