Letter from Mr Corne to Cardiff kosher butchers, 1948

Description

A letter from Mr Corne, the secretary of Cardiff New (Reform) Synagogue, to the Cardiff butchers who were supplying the kosher meat at that time: S. Krotosky in Bridge Street, M. Krotosky in Caroline Street, Mr Gaist in Clare Road and Pooles Ltd in Hayes Bridge Road. He writes to them concerning the actions taken by Cardiff United Synagogue that under certain conditions, members of the Jewish community were to be deprived of the ability to purchase kosher meat. He quotes a letter from Sir Robert Waley Cohen where he states that Cardiff United Synagogue must withdraw their instructions given to the Cardiff Butchers. The letter ends with the suggestion that the butchers put a notice in their windows for the uncertain customers' reading:

"We are authorised by the Ministry of Food and the Chief Rabbi to sell kosher meat and poultry to all our registered customers whether members of the Cardiff United Synagogue, Cardiff New Synagogue (Reform) or not."

There is no date on the letter, however the contents suggests it was written in 1948 as it refers to letters that were written in the same year.

The Cardiff Reform Synagogue was founded in 1948 as the Cardiff New Synagogue. The following year, it became a constituent member of the Movement for Reform Judaism. Born in reaction against the more restrictive traditions of the Orthodox Judaism of Cardiff Hebrew Congregation, such as the prohibition of driving on the Sabbath and the ban on interfaith marriages, the new Synagogue appealed to the immigrants who had fled the war-torn Europe, where the Reform movement was already well-established. The congregation worships in a converted Methodist Chapel on Moira Terrace they acquired in 1952.

Sources:
'The History of the Jewish Diaspora in Wales' by Cai Parry-Jones (http://e.bangor.ac.uk/4987);
JCR-UK/JewishGen (https://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/Community/card1/index.htm).

Depository: Glamorgan Archives.