Ilford Federation Synagogue has moved from its old Coventry Road home to Beehive Lane to be closer to its community.

The synagogue has down sized from its home of 50 years to a smaller site in Gants Hill.

Brian Ash, editor of the federation’s magazine, said: “Over the years the community has got older, making it difficult to walk to the synagogue on the Sabbath. We have moved closer to our community so they did not have to travel as far.”

The synagogue’s new home is only 180m from Ilford United Synagogue in the same road.

Despite lengthy merger discussions between the two synagogues over two years, an agreement could not be reached.

Ilford Federation has had to leave behind plaques, which commemorate the dead, at its Coventry Road site. Some of the plaques represent unmarked unknown graves from the Holocaust.

Phil Keen, a 100-year-old member, attended the final service at Coventry Road and was presented with a framed certificate to mark his centenary year.

The Federation sold its home of more than 80 years to Ilford Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has offered to maintain the plaques.