Letter to the Office of the Chief Rabbi from the Newport Mon. Hebrew Congregation regarding the appointment of Reverend David Braunold as Minister-Reader, 21 October 1974

Description

This letter is to the Office of the Chief Rabbi regarding the appointment of Reverend David Braunold as Minister-Reader to the Newport Mon. Hebrew Congregation. The letter refers to the resignation of Reverend Fisher and his emigration to Australia.

The Chief Rabbi is the spiritual leader of the United Synagogue. Founded in 1870 the United Synagogue is the union of Orthodox Jewish synagogues in the United Kingdom. The Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and the Commonwealth from 1966 -1991 was Immanuel Jakobovits.

Reverend David Braunold served the Newport Mon. Hebrew Congregation from 1974 to 1980. He was originally from Sunderland. Before being appointed to Newport he served at Queens Park Synagogue in Glasgow. He resigned in 1980 and was the last minister to be appointed to the Newport Mon. Hebrew Congregation.

Reverend Reuben Fisher served the Newport Mon. Hebrew Congregation from 1964 until 1974 when he emigrated to Australia.

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;
History of the Chief Rabbinate https://chiefrabbi.org/history-chief-rabbinate/;
The United Synagogue https://www.theus.org.uk/aboutus;
Information about Reverend David Braunold comes from letters written by him and the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation between 1974 and 1980.

Depository: Gwent Archives.