Cardiff Reform Synagogue

Cardiff, Wales

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Cardiff Reform Synagogue, formerly Methodist chapel

Congregation Data
Name	Cardiff Reform Synagogue
Former Name	Cardiff New Synagogue, until 2004⁽ⁱⁱ⁾
Address:	Moira Terrace (opposite Howard Gardens), Cardiff CF24 0EJ. (The building, a former Methodist Chapel, was purchased in March 1952 and, following conversion works, consecrated on 14 September 1952.)⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ Previously, services were held at Temple of Peace, Cathays Park Cardiff.^(iv)
Current Status:	Active
Formation:	Founded at a meeting held on 2 June 1948, initiated by two prominent Cardiff residents, Max Corne and Myer Cohen.^(v)
Affiliation:	A constituent synagogue of the Movement for Reform Judaism (formerly the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain and its predecessor the Associated Synagogues of Great Britain) since 1949.
Ritual:	Reform
Website:	https://cardiffreformsynagogue.uk
Ministers: *(To view a short profile of a minister who also served other UK congregations - name in blue - hold the cursor over his or her name.)*	Rabbi Dr. Louis Gerhard Graf - from September 1949 until 1980^(viii) (*Rev. Erich Cahn* - assistant minister from about 1951 until about 1952^(ix)) Rabbi Kenneth Cohen - from 1980 until 1983^(x) Rabbi Rachel Montagu - from 1985 until 1988^(xi) Rabbi Elaina Rothman (part-time)- from 1992 until 2002^(xii) Rabbi Charles Middleburgh (part-time) - from 2004 until 2014^(xiii) Rabbi Monique Mayer (part-time) - from about 2015 until at least 2018^(xiv)
Lay Officers: (to 1950s)^(xx)	Chairmen c.1948-c.1950 - Major Philip Wein, MBE c.1950-c.1951 - Dr. William W. Mushin c.1951-c.1952 - H.W. Shibko & Phillip Weir Wardens c.1949-c.1954 - Max Corne & Moritz Saalheimer c.1954-c.1955 - J. Harris c.1955-c.1956 - J. Harris & Dr. P. Simon Treasurers c.1948-c.1949 - M. Lermon c.1949-c.1950 - Miss B. Lewis c.1950-c.1956 - David Joseph Hon. Secreataries c.1948-c.1951 - Leslie Corne c.1951-c.1955 - Dr. Phillip Simon c.1955-c.1957 - G.G. Leigh c.1957-c.1959 - D. Isaacs
Membership Data	General 1975 - 150 families (Jewish Chronicle article) 1999 - 208 (as reported by Board of Deputies) National Reports and Surveys^(xxiii) 1977 - 150 male (or household) members and an estimated 150 female members 1983 - 152 male (or household) members and 8 female members 1990 - 190 members (households) 1996 - 198 members (households) 2010 & 2016 - listed as having 100 to 199 members (by household)
Charitable Status:	The congregation is a registered charity (no. 1144498), registered on 2 November 2011. The governing document is the congregation's constitution adopted 25 March 2010, as amended 22 July 2012.^(xxiv)
Worship Registration:	The synagogue in Moira Terrace is registered as a Place of Worship - Worship Register Number 71430 - under the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855.^(xxv)
Cemetery Information:	The congregation has its own Jewish burial ground at the Ely Cemetery - (see Cardiff Cemetery Information)
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) Reserved. (ii) Hineni - Life Portraits from a Jewish Community (2012) p.15 (although the Jewish Year Book continued listing under this name until 2010). ↵ (iii) Hineni, p.15. ↵ (iv) Hineni, p.15. This was also the address listed in Jewish Year Books until 1951 ↵ (v) Hineni, p.15. ↵ (vi) and (vii) Reserved. (viii) Hineni, pp. 15-17 and Rabbi (Rabbi Dr. from 1954) Graf's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1950 through 1980. ↵ (ix) Communication from distant relative. Rev. Cahn was not mentioned in Hineni nor listed in any Jewish Year Books for this congregation. ↵ (x) Hineni, p. 17. Rabbi Cohen moved to Israel in 1983. The office would appear to be vacant until 1988 (although Jewish Year Books continued, apparently erromeously, to continue listing Rabbi Cohen until 1985). ↵ (xi) Hineni, p. 17 and Rabbi Rachel's listing as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1986 through 1988. No further ministers of the congregation are listed in the Jewish Year Books. ↵ (xii) Hineni, p. 17. Rabbi Elaina previously served the congregation for two years as student rabbi, while studying for ordination from Leo Baeck College, London. She retired in 2002. ↵ (xiii) Hineni, p. 84, which was published in 2012, refers to Rabbi Middleburgh as serving the congregation part-time from 2004 and a Jewish Chronicle report of 24 February 2014 refers to his departure. ↵ (xiv) Annual Reports of the congregation for the years ended 31 December 2015 through 2018, filed with Charities Commission. Rabbi Monique generally leads the Sabbath services on a monthly basis. However, by 2024 there is no reference to her on the congregation's website. ↵ (xv) to (xix) Reserved. (xx) All this data here has been extracted from Jewish Year Books and the period of service given here runs from the year prior to first listing of the officer and ends with the year in which the officer was last listed. There were no listings of officers after 1956, other than hon. secretary. ↵ (xxi) and (xxii) Reserved. (xxiii) Reports on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by or on behalf of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for links to the various reports. ↵ (xxiv) Charities Commission's website (in beta trial stage) accessed 2 October 2019. ↵ (xxv) Page 243 of the 2010 List of Places of Worship. ↵

Cardiff Reform Synagogue - Heneni
by G. Jordan (editor)
2012

Bibliography, On-line Articles and Other Material
relating to this Congregation

Bibliography
- Hineni - Life Portraits from a Jewish Community by Glenn Jordan (editor), 2012;
- Other Cardiff Bibliography
Trustees Annual Reports and Financial Statements filed with the Charities Commission (pdf):
- For years ended 31 December 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Cardiff Jewish Community home page

List of Reform Judaism Congregations

Jewish Congregations in the historic county of Glamorganshire

Jewish Congregations in the former county of South Glamorgan

Jewish Congregations in Wales, listed according to current unitary authorities

Jewish Communities & Congregations in Wales home page

Page created: 2 November 2005
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 5 October 2019
Page most recently amended: 1 September 2024

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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