Photographs of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation's David Phillips Memorial Prize Board, Newport, 1904-1975

Description

The David Phillips Memorial Prize was founded by the brothers of David Phillips who died in 1899. No details of what the prize was awarded for. The plaques are generally rectangular in size, but with curved flourishes to the corners and a slightly curved top edge. Gold lettering on a black background. Title at the top reads “A Prize Founded By His Brothers In Memory Of David Phillips. Died March 10th 1899.” The photographs show two boards, covering the years from 1904 to 1975.

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 the 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 the 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.

Depository: Gwent Archives.