Invitation and order of service booklet for the Consecration and Official Opening of the New Newport Hebrew Shul of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation, 2003

Description

The first document is a letter written by Ronnie Black, the Treasurer of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation, to members inviting them to the Consecration Service of the recently completed extension to the Synagogue on Risca Road, Newport. The service is to be held on 22 February 2004 and the service is to be conducted by Reverend Malcolm Weisman.

The second document is an order of service booklet for the Official Opening of the New Newport Hebrew Shul on 22 February 2004. The order of service shows that an introduction will be given by the President of the Newport Hebrew Congregation, Avraham Davidson, a talk by Rev. Malcolm Weisman O.B.E., who was the Chief Rabbi's Minister for small communities at that time, a Mincha by Allan Schwartz M.B.E., who was a prominent Welsh Jewish leader, and a talk by Harry Poloway, a celebrated and well known Toastmaster.

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 their 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 their 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.