Photographs of the synagogue on Cathedral Road, Cardiff, taken prior to its closure in 1989

Disgrifiad

Mae'r ffotograffau hyn yn dangos y fynedfa i'r synagog.
SH: Lovely, lovely. Beautiful entrance hall, and then I can remember that you could look out down to the men sat downstairs, the women upstairs, and you’d go through this beautiful hall, entrance hall, and either go left or right depending on which side of the synagogue, you’d want to sit as far as a man was concerned, and similarly with the women with the stairs going upstairs.”
(JHASW oral history with SH, 9 November 2018)
PK: You would walk up the stairs, and as you walked up the stairs, you could either go to the left or go to the right. So, my dad’s seat was on the right-hand side; if you walked straight ahead of you that was the private room of the ministers where they used to go and get changed, and that was the back of the arch that was inside the synagogue where the scrolls were kept.”
(JHASW oral history with PK, 29 November 2018)
Mae'r Jewish Chronicle ar 14 Mai 1897 yn disgrifio mewn peth manylder seremoni cysegru y prynhawn cynt a'r wledd a ddilynodd (tudalennau 24-27):
"Consecration of the New Synagogue.
OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.]
CARDIFF, THURSDAY.
Beautiful weather favoured the ceremony of the consecration yesterday afternoon of the new synagogue which the Cardiff Congregation have erected in Cathedral Road. Since I attended for this journal in 1874 the opening of the enlarged synagogue in East Terrace, which has now been superseded, the town of Cardiff has enormously grown in population and influence, and in this extension the Jewish community has naturally participated. A synagogue which sufficed for their wants a quarter of a century ago has for some time been inadequate to provide accommodation for the members ; hence the determination to build a more commodious house of worship. Cathedral Road is a fine thoroughfare of high-class private houses, and the new synagogue is undoubtedly an ornament to the street. Both externally and internally it is a handsome structure, and a highly creditable piece of work of the architect, Mr. Delissa Joseph, F.R.LB.A. The interior is white, reminding one somewhat of the Hampstead Synagogue. The resemblance is increased by the Almemar being placed at the end of the building near the Ark.
The synagogue was completely filled for the ceremony. Among the visitors were the Chief Rabbi, Colonel and Mrs. Albert Goldsmid, Mr. F. D. Mocatta, the Rev. Dr. Lowy, Mr. B. S. Marks (a native of Cardiff), Messrs. A. E. Samuel, Harry Samuel, Woolf Phillips, Hermann Samuell, A.E. Norris, Benjamin Blaiberg, Mr. and Mrs. J. Ford, and Mrs. Solomon Blaiberg, all of London, Colonel MacCall, Commanding the 41st Regimental District, Captain Bannerman-Phillips, (Welsh Regiment) and Mrs. Phillips, Councillors White, E. Thomas, J ,P., and Gerbold ; the Rev. P. Wolfers, Minister, and Mr, S. Goldberg, President of the Swansea Congregation ; the Rev. J. Levy, Minister, and Mr. P. Freedman, President of the Newport (Mon.) Congregation; Rev. A. Levinson, Minister, and Mr. J . L. Jacobs, President of the Bristol Congregation ; and the Rev. A. Abelson, Minister of the Merthyr Congregation. The members of the Cardiff Congregation attended in large numbers. It is manifestly impossible to select any names; I must confine the enumeration to the official section. These are : Mr. Isaac Samuel, Chairman of the Building Committee and President of the congregation; Mr. Barnett Jacobs, Treasurer (who is also Hon. Secretary of the Building and Collecting Committee), and Mr. Sam. Blaiberg, Hon. Secretary of the congregation ; Mr. Phil Phillips, Treasurer of the Building and Collecting Committee, and the following members of the same Committee: Mr. Councillor Barnett, Messrs. C. Follick, J. Michaelson, H Goldman, Louis Samuel, J.P., and Sol. Phillips.
On the arrival at the synagogue of Colonel Goldsmid (who is Hon. President of the Congregation and President of the Building and Collecting Committee) and Mrs. Goldsmid, the latter was presented with a lovely bouquet by Miss Lena Samuel, daughter of the President.”
Mae manylion pellach y seremoni, yr areithiau a'r bregeth yn cael eu dilyn gan ddisgrifiad o'r wledd y noson honno:
“The Banquet. -
In the evening a banquet was given in the Assembly Booms of the Town Hall to celebrate the consecration of the Synagogue. A detachment of the Fire Brigade lined the stairs, and acted as a guard of honour. It was interesting to note that nearly all the portraits which adorn the Council Room were painted by Mr. B. S. Marks. The guests, ladies and gentlemen, were numerous, and included several of the leading Christian residents. There is no need to give a list of the principal guests, for they comprised
nearly all the gentlemen whose names have already been given in connection with the afternoon's ceremony. The banquet was presided over by COLONEL GOLDSMID.
Grace before the dinner was said by the Chief Rabbi, and after by the Rev. H. Caminetzky.
The CHAIRMAN was loudly cheered on rising to propose the Health of the Queen, which was heartily honoured.
Mr. SAM BLAIBERG read communications of apology, among them one from Mr. Delissa
Joseph, the architect, who was prevented from attending by the illness of his wife.
Mr. LOUIS SAMUEL, J.P., in proposing the health of the Chief Rabbi and the Clergy, referred to the high esteem in which Dr. Adler was held, not only in the Jewish community, but also among Christians, as a learned scholar, and as being associated in every good work. He acknowledged the gratitude which the Cardiff community owed to Dr. Adler for his share in bringing about the erection of the new synagogue.
The CHIEF RABBI, who had a cordial reception, responded to the toast. …”
Cafodd y lluniau hyn eu tynnu fel rhan o gasgliad dynnwyd gan Alan Schwartz cyn i'r synagog gael ei gau yn 1989.
Maent wedi eu hatgynhyrchu gyda chaniatâd ei frawd, Anthony Schwartz. Y maent i'w cadw yn Archifdy Morgannwg, ac eithrio'r un olaf, sy'n cael ei gadw yn Synagog Unedig Caerdydd.