Issue No. 1 of CeNeS: The Magazine of Cardiff New (later Reform) Synagogue, December 1993

Disgrifiad

The first issue of CeNeS: The Magazine of Cardiff New (later Reform) Synagogue that came out in December 1993.

This special Chanukah Issue was the first of the magazine and it was dedicated to the memory of Myer Wyman - the former editor of the newsletter quarterly for the Cardiff Reform Synagogue (that preceded this publication) and an active member of the congregation who carried out a lot of research. His obituary is included in this issue. It was originally conceived as a 'one-off experiment' as it was the first magazine to be edited by Claude Annik Rapport and Laraine Salamon and they were unsure how it would be received.

Noteworthy features:

1) A piece written by the Rabbi of the synagogue at the time of its publication Elaina Rothman: a feature that would continue in the proceeding issues. Here she stresses the importance of being 'seen to be Jewish' over being 'proud to be Jewish'. She finishes with the opinion that Reform Judaism poses challenges as well as its Orthodox counterpart and should not be seen as a "soft option".

2) An article written by Laraine Salamon: 'Reform Synagogues of Great Britain: A Time for Change' continues this theme as she outlines the 'hallmarks' of the Reform Movement:
- A Renewed Sense of the Divine
- The centrality of Jewish Learning
- A Deep Sense of Peoplehood
- A Far-reaching Moral Commitment
- True Compassion
She then discusses the then recent creation of a 'Blueprint and Contract for the Reform Movement' as a manifesto to unite the different Reform Communities.

3) This issue features an advert for the League of Jewish Women Cardiff Care Concern: an organisation for Jewish women to share their problems and seek advice. This organisation would be advertised in most future issues of the magazine.

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 services were initially held in the Temple of Peace. The congregation now worships in a converted Methodist Chapel on Moira Terrace they acquired in 1952.

Depository: Glamorgan Archives.