Deed of settlement regarding a Life Policy for Rabbi Abraham Snadow of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, 7 November 1927

Disgrifiad

A legal agreement setting out the arrangements for a life policy arranged by the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation to provide their minister with an annuity in 1950, or provision for his widow (or daughters if his wife has died) in the event of the death of the minister. The six-page document sets out in legal language how the policy is to paid for (half by the minister and half by the congregation), what happens if he leaves the congregation and how any assets from it should be distributed. An amendment was added in 1940 to defer the annuity until retirement if the Reverend Snadow continued to serve after 1950.

This document was found in the Newport Hebrew Congregation Minute Book for the period from 20 February 1860 to 30 September 1894.

Newport Monmouthshire Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1859 by orthodox Jews meeting at a temporary synagogue in Llanarth Street. A synagogue at Francis Street was opened in 1869 and consecrated by the Chief Rabbi Dr Herman Adler in 1871. In 1934 the congregation moved to the Nathan Harris Memorial Hall in Queen’s Hill which was converted to a synagogue. In 1997 this synagogue was closed, and the congregation moved to the Prayer House by the Jewish Burial Ground on Risca Road. Within 20 years the congregation had dwindled to a few members able to attend and this too had ceased to hold services.

Sources:
- “History of our Shul. The First Hundred Years", published by Newport Congregation in 1959;
- Oral history interviews with members of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation, recorded in 2018 by JHASW.

Depository: Gwent Archives.