Jewish families and their businesses in south Wales
This collection brings together photographs and ephemera from the Jewish History Association of South Wales’ account that document the history of Jewish families and their businesses in South Wales from the late 19thC to the late 20thC. Also included is a short film about ‘Discovering the Jewish Community in and around Aberdare, 1860s-1957’ and an oral history interview, ‘The Cardiff Years’, with Dr Marjorie Davies (nee Rapport, 1920-2015) discussing her experiences of growing up in Cardiff in a merchant family within a Jewish community.
Through this collection we celebrate the contribution made by members of the Jewish community to the businesses in the Cynon Valley, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff areas and to the South Wales economy; those individuals include:
Morris Jacobs
Morris Jacobs was a significant figure in the Jewish Community of Aberdare who, like many other Jewish families in the area, had come over from Eastern Europe. Born in Russia in 1885, he ran a number of businesses including Morris Jacobs & Sons ‘Clothiers, Drapers, Boot and Shoe Dealers’ established in 1874 – the last, and longest serving Jewish shop in Aberdare. He was elected president of the synagogue congregation from 1892-1905.
Abraham and Harry Sherman
Raised in Cardiff, the brothers owned Sherman Pools Limited who was to become a major employer in south Wales, employing thousands of people from the valleys as well as from the Cardiff area. In 1961 it was taken over by Littlewoods. Their betting shops were eventually bought by William Hill. The brothers funded the construction of the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff as well as donating generously to charities in Israel and also in the UK, through the Sherman Foundation.
Ruth Golding (Goldberg)
Jewish businesswoman Ruth Golding founded the ‘Jane Cooper’ and ‘Barbara Golds’ women’s clothing shops in Aberdare after marrying her second husband, Harry Goldberg, in 1939.
Arnold and Gabriel Krotosky
The Krotosky family came to Cardiff from Karish in Poland around the turn of the 20thC, and following the family tradition, Arnold and Gabriel (Abe) opened a number of kosher butchers shops. When Arnold Krotosky retired in 1992, his shop on City Road, Cardiff was the last Kosher butchers shop in Wales.
