Cardiff New Synagogue Newsletter, June 1980

Disgrifiad

A newsletter for the congregation of Cardiff New Synagogue (later Cardiff Reform Synagogue), dated June 1980. The newsletter contains opinion pieces, articles, sermons, reports from synagogue groups, a recipe, details of future synagogue-led events, and open letters.

The newsletter includes:

A message from the Chairman William Pollock, which concerns the upcoming retirement of Rabbi Graf following his 31 years of service as Minister of the synagogue. Although he was to retire in August 1980, Kenneth Cohen was appointed to take over his role on 18 July 1980. Pollock sees the Graf's retirement as the end of an era and suggests that the synagogue will become more outward looking and see a greater number of student and guest rabbis in the future.

Rabbi Graf came to the United Kingdom in 1939 to escape persecution from the Nazis in Berlin. He and his wife Eve Graf were greatly involved in Cardiff New Synagogue both during his appointment as rabbi and following his retirement as they remained members of the congregation.

An article by Loraine Salamon entitled 'The Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade meet the Duke of Edinburgh', describing a visit that Prince Philip made to Cardiff on 12 March 1980 while promoting the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. He met Salamon and twelve boys of the Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade who were currently working on their Bronze Award.

The Cardiff Reform Synagogue was founded in 1948 as the Cardiff New Synagogue. The following year, it became a constituent member of the Movement for Reform Judaism. Born in reaction against the more restrictive traditions of the Orthodox Judaism of Cardiff Hebrew Congregation, such as the prohibition of driving on the Sabbath and the ban on interfaith marriages, the new Synagogue appealed to the immigrants who had fled the war-torn Europe, where the Reform movement was already well-established. The congregation worships in a converted Methodist Chapel on Moira Terrace they acquired in 1952.

Sources:
'The History of the Jewish Diaspora in Wales' by Cai Parry-Jones (http://e.bangor.ac.uk/4987);
JCR-UK/JewishGen (https://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/Community/card1/index.htm).

The depository: Glamorgan Archives.