Letter from CORRA to Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation regarding earmarked donations not received from Newport's Mayor Office, 16 June 1960

Description

The letter from Hilary Goldberg at the Combined Overseas Rehabilitation and Refugee Appeal (CORRA) and is addressed to Mr Phillips of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation. He informs Mr Phillips that CORRA have not received communication from the Mayor's Secretary of the Civic Centre, Newport, for donations earmarked for CORRA from the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation. He writes that it was the request of Newport congregations committee, Mr Phillips himself and the treasurer that the amount allocated to the Newport congregation be returned to the Newport congregation so that more contributions could be added to it. It was then to be a given either directly or by donation to the Major's Fund earmarked for CORRA and then given to CORRA. He writes that this has not been the case and may be due to treasurer or secretary of the Newport congregation or that of the Mayor of Newport's being overwhelmed with work.

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.