Photo album presented to Mr and Mrs Sherman on occasion of dedication of the Sherman Library, Bnei Brak, 28 June 1962

Disgrifiad

A photo album with engraved inscription in Hebrew and English: “Presented to Mr and Mrs Abe Sherman on occasion of dedication of the Sherman Library” and dated 28 June 1962 (image 1).

The second image features an invitation to the dedication event. The Library was set up in Bnei-Brak, opposite Ponevez Yeshiva, by Abe and Harry Sherman in memory of their brothers, Isaac and Jacob. The aim of the library was to collect the “spiritual heritage of Lithuanian Jewry”. The event was attended by Chief Rabbis, ministers of state, members of Knesset and Lithuanian Holocaust survivors.

Image 3 presents the exterior of the Sherman Library (top) and the lobby with a memorial wall indicating various Lithuanian communities (bottom).

Both photos in image 4 feature Anne (left) and Lilly (right) Sherman with the Rabbanith Kaheneman (in the middle). And photos in image 5 show the Sherman family attending the library opening - top photograph, from left to right: Abraham Sherman (4th from the left), his wife Anne and Lilly Sherman; bottom, from left to right: Lilly Sherman (2nd from left), Rabbanith Kaheneman, Anne and Abraham Sherman.

About the Sherman family.

Simon Sherman – a tailor who hailed from Eastern Europe – had four sons and four daughters with his wife Rachel. Their sons were named Isaac, Jack, Abraham (Abe) and Harry. All eight children were raised in the Riverside area of Cardiff.

During World War I, Isaac, Jack and Harry moved to America. Prior to this, the brothers had begun a bookmaking business together in Glebeland Street, Merthyr Tydfil. When Harry returned to Wales, he and Abe entered into another business venture: Sherman Pools Limited. This company employed thousands of people from the Valleys as well as Cardiff residents. It would eventually be taken over by Littlewoods in June 1961. They also opened betting shops which greatly contributed to their shared fortune. This betting business was later taken over by William Hill.

Abe Sherman was born in Bristol on 16 June 1892. Together with his brother Harry, he funded the construction of the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. The pair also made generous donations to charities in Israel – including the Hebrew University in Jerusalem – as well as in the United Kingdom through The Sherman Foundation. Recipients of Harry’s donations included the Penylan Synagogue and Catholic Nazareth House – to which he sent presents and a tree every Christmas. When Harry died in 1961, donations to eleven charities were included in his will.

Abe and his wife Anne (Annie) settled down at Park Lodge, Queen’s Road, Thomastown in Merthyr Tydfil. The couple were dedicated gardeners who maintained two greenhouses and kept battery hens. Abe died on 17 November 1965 aged 73. Anne was awarded an MBE for her charitable works. She was also one of the founders of Merthyr Tydfil Hebrew Congregation. Anne died in 1984.

Sources.

- ‘Abe Sherman’, in Geni.com [accessed 1 October 2020]

- Garden at Park Lodge, online video recording, BFI Player, 1938 [accessed 1 October 2020]

- O'Neill, Dan, ‘Generous Sherman brothers should not be forgotten; Time to remember’, South Wales Echo, 19 November 2001 [accessed 1 October 2020]

- People’s Collection Wales, Newspaper obituary of Anne Sherman (1984) [accessed 1 October 2020]

- Pyke, Chris, ‘Welsh History Month: Judaism has a long and interesting history in Wales, one that stretches as far back as 1768’, Wales Online, 17 October 2014 [accessed 1 October 2020]

- Roberts, Marcus, Trail: Merthyr Tydfil – South Wales [accessed 1 October 2020]

- Trainor, Tony, ‘Welsh Homes: Fine example of the Jewish heritage; PARK LODGE: Impressive home behind synagogue recalls prominent members of community’, Western Mail, 1 June 2002 [accessed 1 October 2020]

Depository: Merthyr Tydfil Central Library.