Cardiff Zionist Association: Annual Report and Balance Sheet, Cardiff, 1933-34

Disgrifiad

The Annual Report and Balance Sheet for 1933-34 starts with announcing the Annual General Meeting, which is to take place on 25 November1934 at Cardiff Jewish Hebrew Institute and Social Club.

The second page provides a ‘Report for session 1933-1934’.

The first meeting of the session was on 19 November 1933 when Y. M. Yoffey, a President of the Cardiff Zionist Association gave an account of the 18th Zionist Congress in 1933. On 2 December 1933, Mrs Eder delivered a talk about the development of modern Palestine and future relationship between Palestine and world Jewry. The meeting on 21 January 1934 is described as ‘the most important meeting of the session’ with Prof. S. Brodetsky as guest speaker on ‘The present position of Zionism”. The Newport and Swansea Zionists attended this meeting. On 18 March 1934, Mr Janus Cohen gave a talk entitled “The Chalutz movement in England”. The final meeting of the session was held on 15 April 1934 with Mr Isaac Shepherd talking about the life in the new Palestine. The report also notes that the Association’s President started a Modern Hebrew study circle and it remains to be seen if this initiative is successful.

Page 3 of the Annual Report shows the Association’s income and expenditure for the period of September 1933 to November 1934. And page 4 lists Association’s supporters.

About the Cardiff Zionist Association.

The Association is first mentioned in the Jewish Chronicle in an article, entitled ‘Conference of Provincial Zionist Societies’, dated 13 March 1903.

An advertisement published in the Jewish Chronicle on 19 May 1933 announced a Cardiff Zionist Association’s public meeting, which was to take place on Sunday, 21 May 1933, at Park Hotel. The Rev. M. L. Perlzweig, a Chairman of the Organisation and Propaganda Committee of the Zionist Federation was to speak on “The Jew and his future”.

The article dated 11 February 1955 speaks of reviving a Zionist Association in Cardiff. There is no further mention of the Association in the Jewish Chronicle.

The same news of the Zionist Association’s revival and public meeting held at the Royal Hotel is being reported in the CAJEX (vol. 5, issue 1), magazine of the Cardiff Association of Jewish Ex-service men and Women.

Vol. 5, issue 2, reports about the visit of the First Secretary of the Israeli Embassy and Consul for Israel in London to Cardiff on 19 April 1955 organised by the Cardiff Zionist Association. The same year the Association organised a visit of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra in Cardiff. The event took place on 13 June 1955 and, following the initial performance in London, marked the start of the Orchestra’s provincial tour (CAJEX, vol. 5, issue 3).

The last mention of the Cardiff Zionist Association in the CAJEX magazine appears in vol. 32, issue 3, with reproduction of the Annual Report and Balance Sheet for 1935.

The Jewish Year Book lists the Cardiff Zionist Association in 1937 and 1938. And in 1940, it is recorded under Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.

No information was found regarding the foundation of the Cardiff Zionist Association; overall, the records about the group are sparse.

The papers of Abraham Hauser (1926-1940), who was a President of Cardiff Zionist Association, held by the University of Southampton Special Collections: https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb738-ms188, might provide further information about the Association’s activities.

Sources.
- CAJEX, vol. 5, issues 1, 2, and 3; vol. 32, issue 3.
- The Jewish Chronicle, 13.03.1903, 19.05.1955, and 11.92.1955.
- The Jewish Year Book 1937, 1938, and 1940.

Acknowledgement: copy of the Cardiff Zionist Association; Annual Report and Balance Sheet 1933-34 kindly provided by Roma Brooks.