Home for Aged Jews Twelfth Annual Garden Party, promotional booklet, Cardiff, 21 June 1959

Disgrifiad

A booklet publicising the twelfth Annual Garden Party of the Home for Aged Jews (run by their Welfare Committee), which was to be held at Penylan House, Penylan Road, Cardiff on Sunday 21 June 1959.

The cover page features the quote "Cast us not off in our old age; forsake us not when our strength faileth", an photograph of the Home's exterior and details the Guests of Honour: The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Alderman Helena Evans, JP. and her consort, R. J. Evans, Esq. The garden party was to be officially opened at 3pm.

On the inside of the booklet, the Life President is named as Henry Silver, Esq. and the President is named as Sam Cohen, Esq. and there is a list of the members of the Welfare Committee. An address from the Chairman, Leah Jessel welcomes "My dear friends" to the event, drawing attention to the fact that this would be the first Garden Party in the New Home (having moved from Penarth to Cardiff in February that year). Jessel states identifies this as a "milestone in the history of our home". The Lord Mayor and her consort are thanked for their attendance and so are the Welfare Committee for their hard work in organising the event.

The next page lists the stalls available at the party and who provided them, such as the raffle stall by Newport Ladies' Guild and Cakes from the Cardiff Ladies' Aid to Israel Group. At the bottom of this list, Harry Poloway is named as the M.C.: he had been a Warrant Officer in the Second World War and was well-known, especially in the Newport area, being the official toastmaster at many events involving the Royal Family. On the back of the booklet, a list of further thanks are given to numerous companies and individuals for donating items or services. For example, Ely Brewery had donated soft drinks and helped with entertainment and Messrs. Anstee had supplied floral decorations.

There have been numerous locations of the Home for Aged Jews: Mr Henry Silver and other members of the community had originally founded a Home for the Aged in 1946 in Canton, which then moved to Penarth, its official opening being 5 December 1948. Despite the beautiful surroundings, the Home in Penarth was quite isolated so the difficult decision was later taken to move the Home to Penylan Road in Cardiff, meaning many residents were now closer to their friends and relatives. Residents moved to Penylan House in 1959.

Pencare (formerly known as 'The Trustees of Penylan House') is a charity, which offers care for elderly people of the Jewish faith and is currently based in Cardiff, although the catchment area for the home covers South Wales and the West of England. Pencare has been working with Linc Cymru to redevelop their care home, Penylan House, to ensure high quality care to Cardiff's elderly Jewish community and extending the care to elderly people not of the Jewish faith.

Sources:
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/14154389.Salute_to_Harry_Poloway__Newport___s_red_coated_ambassador/;
Cajex, Magazine of the Association of Jewish Ex-service Men and Women (Cardiff), Vol. IX, No. 1, Ninth Year - March, 1959, pp. 60- 65;
http://opencharities.org/charities/243968 http://www.housingcare.org/downloads/facilities/generated-brochures/134508-penylan-house-nursing-home-cardiff-wales.pdf.

Depository: Glamorgan Archives.