Minute book of the Newport Hebrew Congregation Education Committee from 30 October 1960 to 28 November 1976

Disgrifiad

This maroon book contains the minutes of the minutes of the Education Committee of the Newport (Mon) Hebrew Congregation. They met at the Nathan Harris Memorial Hall in Queen's Hill. The committee was responsible for the running of the chedar (synagogue school) and appointed staff, approved the curriculum and decided policy.

The first meeting recorded was on 30 October 1960. After reading, adopting and signing the minutes of the previous meeting, they discussed arrangements for the upcoming Chanukah party, prizes for pupils, and a speech-making competition at Purim.

The book also contains a list of recommended text-books and report of a visit on 10 June 1964 by the Central Council of Jewish Religious Education. This reports, “the roll of this school has dropped since my last visit, although it is expected to rise again as a few younger children grow up. I saw 13 children in four groups as follows…” There follows a table showing 7 boys and 6 girls attending comprising 4 infants, 4 lower juniors, 4 upper juniors and 1 senior. All the upper juniors and the senior are girls. The report then lists what the children have been studying.

The final minute is dated 28 November 1976 and includes comments about a previous inspection, election of chairman and secretary, acceptance of programme and distribution of prizes, action over poor attendance of named children, changes in books used and an acceptance to sponsor a combined meeting with Bristol and Swansea Jewish Youth.

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.