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

Description

This lesson looks at the religious life of Jewish refugees in Wales. It focuses on two topics: Religious service and cheder, and kosher food.

Religion was an important part of life for many Jewish refugees in Wales. Many attended synagogues or cheder (religious schooling). 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.

Students 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.

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

Key Stage 3

History, Literacy Skills

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