Cardiff United Synagogue Ladies' Guild minute book, Cardiff, 06 February 1952 to 31 January 1961

Description

Pages from a minute book of the Cardiff United Synagogue Ladies' Guild. The minute book includes handwritten meeting minutes from 06 February 1952 to 31 January 1961. As well as minutes, the book includes members' names and addresses, attendees at meetings and apologies for absence.

Jewish Ladies' Guilds were made up of prominent women from the community. They engaged in a wide range of activities, from raising funds for Hebrew education to holding talks and providing catering for special events, to sewing and performing acts of charity and community welfare.

The Cardiff United Synagogue was established in 1942 when the Cardiff Hebrew Congregation and the Cardiff New Hebrew Congregation were united into a single organisation. The community dates back to the arrival of Levi Marks and his family in the 1810s.

After meeting in various places, the Cardiff Hebrew Congregation built a synagogue in East Terrace in 1858. The congregation outgrew these premises, and a new synagogue was opened on Cathedral Road in 1897. In the late 1890s, a group of recent immigrants left the "Englisher shul" to form the "foreigners' shul", formally known as the Cardiff New Hebrew Congregation. They worshipped at Edward Place, then moved to Windsor Place in 1918.

After the 1942 reunification, the Cardiff United Synagogue continued to use both the Windsor Place and the Cathedral Road synagogues until 1955 when the lease on the former expired, and a new synagogue was built on Ty-Gwyn Road in Penylan. The Cathedral Road synagogue was in use until 1988. The Penylan synagogue was replaced in 2003 by the current premises in Cyncoed Gardens.

Sources:

JCR-UK: Jewish Communities & Records, Cardiff United Synagogue, Cardiff, Wales (2020) https://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/Community/card/index.htm [accessed 1 August 2023]

Parry-Jones, Cai, The History of the Jewish Diaspora in Wales (doctoral thesis, Bangor University, 2014)
https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/files/20579001/null [12 August 2023]

Depository: Glamorgan Archives: D765/2/1.

• https://cardiffshul.org/ (link opens in new window)