Disgrifiad

The letters in this collection, dating from 2 September 1980 to 4 September 1985, concern the restoration of the Prayer Hall at Brynmawr Jewish Cemetery and discussion around who could carry out the repair and restoration work.

The documents discuss employing a caretaker of the cemetery adjacent to the Brynmawr Jewish Cemetery to do take care also of the Jewish cemetery; writing a draft conveyance for the Council, which includes the restoration of the Prayer hall; and approaching families of those buried at the cemetery for small donations towards the restoration of the Prayer Hall. The idea arises for restoring the Hall by using it as a community service project.

Later letters involve Mr Alfred Dunitz who, at the time, was Chairman of the Jewish Disused Cemetery Committee of a Board of Deputies, arranging to visit the cemetery to explore the idea of a community service project. A letter from Mrs Estrelle Jacobs discusses this visit potential visit (which was planned for the mid-July and later postponed), which is written on the back of a first class short-arm cross envelope.

Other topics covered in these letters are, the date of the death of Abe Brest, a list of Jewish families that are living in Brynmawr, the date of the last funeral carried out at the cemetery, Anthony Morris's retirement, certificates of person buried at Brynmawr Jewish Cemetery and one letter specifically discusses Rabbinic advice through an interview carried out with Rabbi Rogosnitsky.
Amongst these item's is a draft contract between the Brynmawr & District Jewish Burial Board and the Wlodowa Charity Trust concerning funding to reinstate the Prayer Hall at the Brynmawr Jewish Cemetery. The Trustees would pay a sum of £5 each to the Burial Board, in exchange they would be allowed to inter in the cemetery from time to time.

The letters are written and sent between Gerald Robinson, David I. Davis, Eric C. Davis, Estelle Jacobs, and Anthony Morris, a trustee of the Brynmawr Jewish Cemetery (many letters do not have names at the bottom, but from the content of previous letters it can be assumed that they are written by Anthony Morris).

Brynmawr Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1889 and the opening of the Brynmawr Synagogue took place in June 1901. The trustees were Barnett Isaacs, pawnbroker; Isaac Isaacs, pawnbroker; Isaac Brest, house furnisher; and Isaac Goldfoot, draper. In 1920, they opened in the Brynmawr Jewish Cemetery. Abel Myers of Abersychan paid for the land purchased from the Brynmawr Urban District Council and conveyed by a document of 23 October 1919 to five men: Abel Myers, pawnbroker, of Abersychan; Jacob Morris, jeweller, of Brynmawr; Isaac Brest, furniture dealer, of Brynmawr; Joel Ballin, draper, of Brynmawr; and Jacob Myers, clothier, of Nantyglo. The land measured 2 acres, 3 roods, and 3 perches, and the cost was £206

Sources:
'The Jewish Community of Brynmawr, Wales' - Jewish Journal of Sociology: jewishjournalofsociology.org/index.php/jjs/article/download/15/16;
'Brynmawr Hebrew Congregation': https://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/Community/val1_brynmawr/index.htm.

Depository: Gwent Archives.

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