The Holocaust and Wales: Religious life of Jewish refugees in Wales

1021 views

Description

This resource looks at the religious life of Jewish refugees in Wales.

Religion was an important part of life for many Jewish refugees in Wales. Many attended synagogues and cheder (religious schooling). Child refugees Ellen Davis and Erwin Kestenbaum attended the Goat Street Synagogue in Swansea (Erwin had his bar mitzvah there) before it was destroyed during the Swansea Blitz in 1941.

Jewish dietary laws, rooted in religion, specify which foods Jews can or cannot eat. The laws also specify how the food is prepared both before it reaches the home and within it. Generally, the more Orthodox a person’s background, the more closely observed these rules are.

Learners will hear oral history testimonies from two Kindertransport refugees – one describing religious services at Gwrych Castle and one about religious observance in their temporary hostel.

Image above: Cheder class, Swansea Beth Hamedrash, 1908-09. Image courtesy of Leonard Mars.

The resource contains:

I. Guidelines for Teachers:

- What are the purpose, learning aims, and focus of the resource?
- What skills, knowledge, and experience does the resource help develop?
- How does the resource support learning in local (cynefin), national and international contexts?
- Background information about Jewish religious life.
- Ideas and questions.
- Links to research and further information.

II. Activities for Learners:

- Suggested activities.

This resource was initially produced in 2021/22 as part of the 'Côf a lithr, llythyrau a geidw: creating Holocaust resources for Welsh schools' partnership project between the Centre for the Movement of People (CMOP), Aberystwyth University, and the Jewish History Association of South Wales/Cymdeithas Hanes Iddewig De Cymru (JHASW/CHIDC). The work was kindly supported by the Association of Jewish Refugees, Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust, Jewish Historical Society of England and Garfield Weston Foundation.

It was amended to suit the Curriculum for Wales requirements in 2024 by the Jewish History Association of South Wales/Cymdeithas Hanes Iddewig De Cymru (JHASW/CHIDC) thanks to a grant from the Association of Jewish Refugees and Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust.