John Allin 1934-1991
Spitalfields Great Synagogue, 1975
lithograph on paper
48 x 60 cm
signed and dated (lower left): John Allin 75
1987-6v
© John Allin estate
Photo: Bridgeman images
Situated on the corner of Brick Lane and Fournier Street, the former Spitalfields Great Synagogue reflects the fluidity of migration to the East End: originally a church for Huguenot refugees,...
Situated on the corner of Brick Lane and Fournier Street, the former Spitalfields Great Synagogue reflects the fluidity of migration to the East End: originally a church for Huguenot refugees, then a Wesleyan Chapel, as the Machzikei Hadath community synagogue, it observed strict orthodox standards of religious worship: Allin’s male congregants, dressed in shtreimels and wearing side curls, typify the largely Eastern European Jewish community it served until 1952 (it is now a mosque for the Bangladeshi muslim community). Neighbouring Brick Lane also housed a school for Jewish children to learn Hebrew; while beyond Fournier Street, looms the ever commanding tower of Christ Church, Spitalfields.