Cash book of the Newport Hebrew Congregation, October 1926 - October 1930

Description

A maroon book with "CASH BOOK" printed on the spine. It shows the date and amount of individual payments made each year from 20 October 1926 to 18 October 1929.

It then lists payments under the following categories: salaries (Rev Snadow and Mr A. Hyams); upkeep; lighting, heating and cleaning; repairs and renewals; cemetery upkeep; institute upkeep; subscriptions and donations (including British Legion, Chief Rabbi's Fund, English Zionist Federation, Board of Deputies, and Royal Gwent Hospital); collector's commission; printing & stationery; Queen's Hill Institute & School.

In addition, reading from the back, it gives balance sheets and a summary of contributions and offerings for the periods October 1928 - October 1929 and October 1929 - October 1930.

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.