While we would welcome you to apply for full membership to our synagogue, those visitors who would like to show their support without becoming a member may do so by joining the ‘Friends of the New West End’. In doing so you will receive a copy of our bi-annual synagogue magazine, be added to our mailing list and receive invitations to our special live events.
Our Team
CHAZAN Marc Joseph
Marc Joseph grew up in Liverpool and having gained an Honours degree in Chemistry at Sheffield Polytechnic, worked for a while as a chemical pathologist before eventually moving to London where he decided to leave his life in the laboratory behind him and follow his dream of performing in musicals.
He auditioned to get into a prominent drama school and was lucky enough to be the winner of the first ever “Andrew Lloyd Webber” scholarship to attend the Arts Educational School in West London. Upon graduating he worked for a decade in professional musical theatre in the UK and abroad.
Marc has appeared in several musical events in London’s West End including “Les Miserables” at the Palace Theatre. He has performed in many high-profile concerts, sung as a soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra on Radio 2, recorded his own album, and produced his own cabaret. Marc has toured extensively around the UK taking leading roles in many national tours and has also directed musical reviews including our very own famous Purim Spiel.
Marc arrived at the New West End Synagogue in 2012 after some years of searching for a spiritual home. He was to form part of a new choir called Mosaic Voices. Since that time, he has been on a significant Jewish journey in terms of his learning and is now lucky enough to be in the privileged position of leading regular services here as a Chazan.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR Michael Etherton
Michael Etherton was a Music Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford, where he also read Jurisprudence. He has a performance diploma in cello from Trinity College of Music and studied orchestral conducting at the Jerusalem Academy of Music & Dance under the then Chief Conductor of the New Israeli Opera, Mendi Rodan. He has worked as freelance conductor with orchestras and choirs including the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Camerata Orchetsra and, pursuing his passion for Jewish music, he was Musical Director of the London Jewish Male Choir from 2004-2012 and Musical Director of the Alyth Choral Society from 2010-2013. In 2012 he established Mosaic Voices as the Resident Choir of the New West End Synagogue in Bayswater, London. With Mosaic Voices he has released an album, The Blue Book, and been broadcast on BBC Radio3’s In Tune programme. He is Chief Executive of UK Jewish Film and Chairman of the Young Actors Theatre, Islington. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
COMPOSER Benjamin Till
Benjamin Till grew up in the Midlands and studied composition at York University, before training as a theatre director at Mountview School.
He worked in theatre for ten years, most notably with playwright Sir Arnold Wesker, with whom he wrote the musical Letter to a Daughter, a radio play The Rocking Horse, and several arts songs.
Benjamin worked as Resident Director for almost two years on Boy George’s Taboo in the West End, and was Associate Director on a string of Raymond Gubbay operas at the Albert Hall and in stadia across the country including Madam Butterfly and Aida. He returned to theatre directing in 2018 to direct Brass with third year students at Mountview School.
In 2005, he moved into making films for TV and became an innovator in the field of the documentary musical, in which ordinary people tell their own stories through music and song. His most recent film, 100 Faces, was premiered at the 2018 UK Jewish Film Festival. It features 100 British Jewish people, one born every year from 1918-2017. It won gold in the prestigious Robinson International Short Film Prize.
Benjamin is passionate about Jewish orthodox music and has written, arranged or transcribed close to 100 pieces of music in this particular field. In 2020, during lockdown, he worked with New West End and United Synagogue to create a string of musical films including Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen and his setting of Psalm 23, which was accompanied by photographs sent in from Jewish people from across the UK.
Building Fund
The New West End is over 140 years old and is the jewel in the crown of the United Synagogue – there is almost no synagogue quite like it in the United Kingdom, or indeed the world.
As you can imagine, the synagogue has high running costs, as well as funds needed for essential refurbishments. We would really appreciate any donations you are able to make, to keep us up and running. Donations can be made to our building fund in a number of ways:
To arrange a Bank Transfer or to pay by Credit Card, please contact the on 020 7229 2631 or email eli@newwestend.org.uk.
Many thanks in advance.
ADMINISTRATOR AND BEADLE
Eli Ballon is our Administrator and Beadle.
He can be contacted at eli@newwestend.org.uk
or on +44 (0)20 7229 2631.
Office Hours
Monday – Thursday 9.30am – 4.30pm
Friday 9.30am – 1pm