Stamford Hill

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Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill (Greater London)
Stamford Hill

Stamford Hill shown within Greater London
OS grid reference TQ335875
London borough Hackney
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region London
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district N15, N16
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
European Parliament London
UK Parliament Hackney North and Stoke Newington
London Assembly North East
List of places: UK • England • London

Coordinates: 51°34′14″N 0°04′22″W / 51.5705, -0.0727

Stamford Hill is a place in the north of the London Borough of Hackney, near the border with Haringey. It is home to one of Europe's largest Hasidic Jewish communities.

Contents

[edit] Historical Stamford Hill

Stamford Hill lies on the old Roman road of Ermine Street, on high ground above Stoke Newington, where it crosses the road from the medieval village of Clopton (the modern Upper and Lower Clapton) into Hackney.

Development of the area began around 1800, and many prosperous dwellings were built around Stamford Hill over the next 100 years. The London Road became a busy commercial centre to serve the needs of the burgeoning population. Around 1880, not only were railways serving the area, but this was the point where the tram systems coming north from the city,[1] met the Hackney tram system,[2] and so it became a busy interchange, with a depot opening in 1873.[3] Electrification commenced in 1902, and by 1924 a service was commenced between Stamford Hill and Camden Town, along Amhurst Park.

Stamford Hill had many eminent Jewish residents including the Montefiore family. Italian-born Moses Vita Montefiore (d. 1789), lived there by 1763. His son Joseph (d. 1804) married Rachel Mocatta and his grandson Abraham Montefiore (d. 1824) married Henrietta, whose father, the financier Nathan Meyer Rothschild, lived near the modern Colberg Place, from 1818 to 1835. The Montefiores' property, a little farther south, was to be turned by Abraham's grandson Claude Montefiore into Montefiore House school. With the spread of building, such distinguished families moved away: in 1842 there were few of the wealthy Jews who had once settled in Hackney.[4] The philanthropist and abolitionist, MP Samuel Morley, had a residence here, from about 1860.

From the 1880s a new influx of Jews arrived in the area, escaping from the poverty of the East End in Stepney,[5] and in 1915 the New Synagogue was transferred to Stamford Hill to serve this growing population. In 1926 the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations was established in Stamford Hill, and this became a magnet for other strictly observant sects, many fleeing both Stalinist and Nazi persecution in the years before and after World War II. Also, many Jewish families came to the area from other areas of London, refugees in their own way from bombing and post-war clearances for housing. One of the early Hasidic leaders in Stanford Hill was the Shotzer Rebbe. Another notable Jewish resident from 1955, until his death in 2000, was the spiritual head of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, Rabbi Chanoch Dov Padwa.

[edit] Stamford Hill Today

Stamford Hill reflects the very diverse composition of The London Borough of Hackney. The data table shows ONS Census data[6] for the wards around Stamford Hill, where respondents indicated a religion:[7]

Ward All Christian Buddhist Hindu Jewish Muslim Sikh other None not stated
Stoke Newington 10,133 4,163 108 147 238 1,563 96 58 2,689 1,071
New River 11,504 3,918 78 96 2,346 1,525 96 80 1,515 1,850
Springfield 10,859 3,512 66 61 2,552 1,352 134 67 1,185 1,930
Lordship 11,299 3,766 81 46 1,949 966 97 96 2,147 2,151
Cazenove 10,500 3,359 74 97 1,390 2,069 127 68 1,784 1,532
Total 54,295 18,718 407 447 8,475 7,475 550 369 9,320 8,534
The London Borough of Hackney has expressed its concern that Jewish residents were seriously under-counted in the 2001 Census data[8]

[edit] Stamford Hill Orthodox Jewish Community

Haredim shopping (Jan 2003)
Haredim shopping (Jan 2003)

Stamford Hill is at the centre of an Orthodox Jewish and predominantly Hasidic community estimated to be some 20,000 strong[9][10] . It is the largest Hasidic community in Europe, and referred to as a square mile of piety,[4] reflecting the many Jewish men seen walking in their traditional clothes on their way to and from worship. The congregations often represent historical links, with particular areas of Eastern Europe, in their dress, and worship. Many also retain international links with other congregations around the world. The largest of these congregations is the Satmar who have five directly associated synagogues. Belz is another large community with two, or three, synagogues. In the surrounding area, there may be over fifty synagogues. Many observant Jews in the neighbouring areas of Stoke Newington, Upper Clapton and Tottenham identify with Stamford Hill.

Stamford Hill has its Shabbat herald, which plays Jewish music just prior to sunset to herald in the Jewish Sabbath and Jewish Holidays, in mimicry of the pre-Shabbat siren which is sounded in cities in Israel. Stamford Hill also has an emergency response first-aid service, called Hatzola - the Hebrew word for rescue - run by Haredi volunteers.[11]

The need for dietary observance means that Stamford Hill has a large number of shops selling specifically Kosher food.


The high birthrate in Stamford Hill[12] leads to local housing pressure and housing need. Haredi families have on average 5.9 children, almost 2.5 times the average for England and Wales, and many families live in overcrowded apartments.[13] National planning regulations are applied by the local council, prohibiting "excess" development of family housing. This has inevitably led to conflict between the council and the Jewish population, represented by the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations. Agudas Israel Housing Association is active in developing housing for the Jewish community in Stamford Hill.

One solution that has been proposed, is building a satellite Orthodox community of 300 homes at Milton Keynes. London Mayor Ken Livingstone has promised "(I) will do all I can to find a solution that ensures that the needs of London's Orthodox Jewish community are met in future years," he told Reuters, adding that one solution could be to relocate the community within the capital.[13] Many Haredi do not want to leave Stamford Hill, but the area is now "bursting at the seams".[14]

A large part of the Orthodox communities will remain in Stamford Hill, as the congregations, schools and shops exist here to support their strict religious observance. The danger for the future is that the issue of overcrowding must be addressed, and a solution found that meets both Orthodox needs, and that of the wider population.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The North Metropolitan Tramways Co. inaugurated 1872, and ran from Moorgate via Kingsland and Stoke Newington Roads to Stamford Hill
  2. ^ The North Metropolitan from Bishopsgate ran through Mare Street, and thence to Clapton, opened in 1872, and was extended to Clapton Common in 1875, reaching Stamford Hill in 1902
  3. ^ 'Hackney: Communications', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney (1995), pp. 4-10 Date accessed: 01 November 2006.
  4. ^ a b 'Hackney: Judaism', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney (1995), pp. 145-48. Date accessed: 31 October 2006.
  5. ^ Kosher in the country The Economist 01 Jun 2006 accessed 14 August 2007
  6. ^ Office For National Statistics, 2001 Census, at Hackney Live accessed on 27 Nov 2006
  7. ^ In the 2001 UK census, respondents were voluntarily asked to identify their religion.
  8. ^ 'Torah, worship and acts of loving kindness' - Christine Holman and Naomi Holman, De Montfort University, November 2002.
  9. ^ The Guardian giving number as 20,000
  10. ^ Ynet giving number as 20,000
  11. ^ Jewish health service offers local care - BBC Health 19 Jan 2003 accessed on 11 Dec 2006
  12. ^ LBH Children & Young People: Figure 2.1:Population density 0 to 19 year olds Demonstrates areas where there is a significant proportion of people in this age group. The higher proportion is correlated with where Orthodox communities live (accessed 27 Nov 2006)
  13. ^ a b Reuters/Ynet - London haredim considering move - 1st July 2006 accessed 28 Nov 2006
  14. ^ An indication of the number of 0-5 year olds can be obtained from these ONS census details (accessed 27 Nov 2006)

[edit] Education

For details of education in Stamford Hill see the Hackney article

There are also many independent Jewish schools in the area.

[edit] Transport

[edit] Nearest places

[edit] Nearest stations

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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