Letters from CORRA to Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation regarding earmarking donations, 1959

Description

The first letter dated 30 July 1959 is addressed to Mr Phillips of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation from Joan Stiebel, the secretary of the Combined Overseas Rehabilitation and Refugee Appeal (CORRA). The letter highlights that the Central British Fund for Jewish Relief, the British O.R.T. and British O.S.E. have combined to make one appeal to the Jewish community for World Refugee Year. The letter includes that The United Kingdom Committee of World Refugee has a target of £2,000,000 and that half of this is to be raised by member agencies and the other centrally. Of this CORRA have accepted a target of £250, 000. It also mentions that many districts are forming committees and that they hope local Jewish communities will be represented in them and that donations must be earmarked for CORRA in order for them to receive them.

The second letter is from Joan Stiebel, the secretary at CORRA, and is addressed to Mr Phillips at the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation. Joan Stiebel writes that she is unsettled by a letter Mr Phillips wrote to her about her marking. She writes that World Refugee Year sends out a special leaflet with all appeal letters saying that donations may be earmarked. She writes that she will take the matter up with the World Refugee Headquarters and that Mr Phillips and Mr Joseph should encourage people to send a major part of their contributions to CORRA.

The third document is a blank template for earmarking donations for CORRA addressed to the Mayor of Newport.

The Combined Overseas Rehabilitation and Refugee Appeal (CORRA) was a combination of appeals from organisations fundraising for Jewish refugees for World Refugee Year. World Refugee Year was launched by the United Nations in June 1959 to June 1960. It was set up to increase the public's awareness of the issues faced by refugees and to find solutions to improve their lives. The organisations which were included were the Central British Fund for Jewish Relief and Rehabilitation (C.B.F.), British Organisation for Rehabilitation through Training (British O.R.T.) and British O.S.E. Jewish Health Organisation. The Central British Fund provided support such as housing, a kindergarten and equipment for summer camps and clinics for Jewish immigrants and refugees in Australia, France, Morocco, Poland, Iran and the rehabilitation of Jewish survivors from Agadir. The British Organisation for Rehabilitation through Training (British O.R.T.) was part of World O.R.T. and provided technical training in 21 countries including Tunisia, Morocco, Israel, Iran, France and Poland. The British O.S.E. Jewish Health Organisation ran a health programmes in Tunisia, Morocco, Iran and Israel. As well as a scheme for patients discharged from mental hospitals in France. They also provided post-graduate medical training and scholarships for nurses.

Newport Monmouthshire Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1859 by orthodox Jews meeting at a temporary synagogue in Llanarth Street. A synagogue at Francis Street was opened in 1869 and consecrated by the Chief Rabbi Dr Herman Adler in 1871. In 1934 the congregation moved to their Nathan Harris Memorial Hall in Queen's Hill which was converted to a synagogue. In 1997 this synagogue was closed, and the congregation moved to their Prayer House by the Jewish Burial Ground on Risca Road. Within 20 years the congregation had dwindled to a few members able to attend and this too had ceased to hold services.

Sources:
"History of our Shul. The First Hundred Years", published by Newport Congregation in 1959;
Oral history interviews with members of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation, recorded in 2018 by JHASW;
Letters sent from the Combined Overseas Rehabilitation and Refugee Appeal to the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation between 1959 and 1960 with information about the organisation;
"When the war was over: European refugees after 1945. Briefing Paper 7. World Refugee Year 1959-1960" found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/postwar-refugees/documents/briefing-paper-7-world-refugee-year.pdf.

Depository: Gwent Archives.