Minute book of the Newport Hebrew Congregation Cemetery Care Committee from 18 November 1928 to 17 July 1932, and the Combined Charities Committee 1946/1947

Description

A partially completed minute book which gives the minutes of the Cemetery Care Committee of the Newport Hebrew Congregation from 18th November 1928 to 17th July 1932. These are then followed by the minutes of Newport Combined Charities Committee from 19th February 1946 to 17th March 1947. Each set of minutes commences with a list of officers.

The Cemetery Care Committee was responsible for raising the money and then arranging the upkeep of the cemetery. They had a treasurer and kept their own set of accounts, which are discussed but not included here. The location of meetings is not recorded. The first minutes are for November 18th 1928: “the cemetery was greatly improved by the work which had been done by the gardener appointed”. “The Chairman promised to get out a list of people to whom an appeal might be sent for a donation towards the upkeep of the graves.”

Their final minute is for the 17th July 1932. The committee decide to convert their War Loans. This was money invested with the government during World War I, on which they continued to pay interest until 1932. The government then asked investors to convert to a new issue at a lower interest rate as a patriotic duty. (http://www.johntrainbroadside.com/great-war-loan-conversion/) The Chairman also announced that it had been necessary to purchase a new lawn-mower and shears, and to wash down and clean the stones.

In 1946 a new title page introduces the 'Newport Combined Charities Committee'. The committee arranged fund-raising social events, mainly dances with a band and dinner. The meetings are held at various locations, possibly including the homes of members. The minutes for 27th May 1946 record that “it was mentioned that Bert Millers band would be playing in Shaftesbury Park”, “the special lighting had been ordered” and it was decided not to give complimentary tickets to “the three Dutch teachers now in Newport” “owing to the difficulty of providing them with partners”. The entry for 17th February 1947 discusses action following a loss-making dance. (The previous minutes noted that a loss of approximately £55 was probable.) Attempts to request a reduction in fees had failed and it was agreed that “the eventual loss would be divided among the seven members and same would be recouped from future dances”. The committee seem not to have put off and were seeking to engage Joe Loss. However, the final meeting recorded here was on 17th March 1947.

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.