the former

Newbridge Hebrew Congregation

& Newbridge & District Jewish Community

Caerphilly, South Wales

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congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

Town of Newbridge

Newbridge (Trecelyn in Welsh) is a small town situated on the river Ebbw in South East Wales. It lies about 21 miles north-east of Cardiff and 14 miles north-west of Newport, some 6 miles west of Pontypool.

Until 1974, Newbridge formed part of the urban district of Abercarn in the historic county of Monmouthshire (which in many instances was then considered part of England and not Wales). From 1974 until 1996, it was part of the district (and borough) of Islwyn in the new county of Gwent. In 1996, Gwent was abolished as an administrative county, and the district became part of the county borough of Caerphilly - a unitary authority. (Initially Caerphilly remained split between the ceremonial, or preserved, counties of Mid Glamorgan and Gwent, but in 2003 the entire county borough was placed in the ceremonial county of Gwent.)

The Jewish Community

A small Jewish community existed in Newbridge in the early part of the twentieth century, with Jewish communal activity appearing to have commenced in about 1905. As Newbridge was equidistant between the larger Jewish communities of Newport and Brynmawr, some twelve miles from each, the distance was too far for actual physical contact within the sparse means of commuting, especially on Shabbat and High Holy Days. Accordingly it became a hub for Jewish activity that also encompassed Jews in the small surrounding towns and villages, including Abercarn and Crosskeys (just to the south of Newbridge) and Crumlin and Llanhilleth (just to the north of Newbridge). The community had a minister for a short period, a synagogue, a marriage secretary, a deputy at the Jewish Board of Deputies, Hebrew schoolrooms (the classes meeting four times a week at one stage) and associated societies.

For a relatively comprehensive history of the Jews in and around Newbridge, see The Newbridge and District Jewish Community ("Pollins' History") by Harold Pollins.

Congregation Data
Name:	Newbridge Hebrew Congregation The congregation was also known as the Newbridge and District Hebrew Congregation.^(iv)
Founded	The date of the founding of the congregation is unclear, the first published report of any sign of communal religious activity was in 1905, concerning the holding of High Holy Day services in Abercarn,^(v) and the actual first report mentioning the name of the congregation was not until 1916.^(vi) There are claims regarding the date of founding of the congregation to as early as 1895 and as late as post-1908 (see Pollins' History).
Address	There did not appear to have been a fixed location for a synagogue (although there are several references in The Jewish Chronicle to a synagogue in Newbridge^(vii)) and services were held in rented premises - an inn, chapel vestry or a school.^(viii)
Closure:	There was no report of a closing ceremony for the congregation, but it seems to have petered out in the late 1920s.^(ix)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	The congregation was an unaffiliated congregation, probably under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi.
Ministers: (To view a short profile - hold the cursor over the name.)	Rev. Philip Freedman - minister from 1916 until about 1919.^(xiii) At other time, ministers from neighbouring communities, in particular Rev. Getzel Bloch of Brynmawr and Ebbw Vale, and Rev. Abraham Snadow of Newport, acted as shochet and teacher to the community, often visiting on once or twice a week.^(xiv)
Lay Officers:	President throughout - Benjamin Roskin^(xvii) Treasurers at least 1913 to c.1926 - Isaac Levy^(xviii) c.1926-c.1927 - M. Gershon^(xix)	Hon. Secretaries c.1913-c.1917 - A. Marks^(xx) c.1917-c.1926 - H. Robinson^(xxi) c.1926-c.1927 - M. Gershon^(xxii) Secretary for Marriages 1916-c.1927 - M. Barnett^(xxiii)
Registration District:	Caerphilly, since 1 April 1996^(xxiv) - Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	There is no Jewish cemetery in Newbridge, the closest being in Brynmawr and in Newport. The former, opened in 1920, was governed by a joint board, the Brynmawr and District Jewish Burial Board, which included residents from the other local Jewish communities, including Newbridge.

Online Articles, and Other Material
relating to the Newbridge Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

The Newbridge and District Jewish Community, a History of the Jews of Newbridge and District Community by Harold Pollins (initially published in the Gwent Local History).
Press Reports relating to the Newbridge and District Jewish Community, compiled by Harold Pollins.
How 'Greeners' Came to the Valley by Michael Wallach, Jewish Chronicle Colour Magazine, 1975.
Bibliography.

Other Newbridge & District Jewish Institutions & Organisations

Educational & Theological

Newbridge Hebrew School, probably established early before or shortly after the founding of the congregation.^(xxviii)

Other Institutions

West Monmouthshire and Breconshire Jewish Orphan Aid Society, founded by 1903.^(xxix)
Newbridge and District Zionist Society, founded by 1908,^(xxx) but presumably became defunct and was founded again in 1918.^(xxxi)
Western Valleys Jewish Literary and Social Society, founded by 1912.^(xxxii)
Newbridge Ladies' Society, founded by 1912.^(xxxiii)

Jewish Population Data

Click HERE to view Jewish population figures for the whole county borough of Caerphilly from UK Censuses since 2001.

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) to (iii) Reserved.
(iv) There is also a solitary reference, in 1916, to the Abertillery and Newbridge United Hebrew Congregation (The Jewish Chronicle report of 2 June 1916). ↵
(v) The Jewish Chronicle report of 13 October 1905. ↵
(vi) The Jewish Chronicle report of 7 January 1916. The congregation was not listed in Jewish Year Books until 1914. ↵
(vii) For example, in The Jewish Chronicle of 20 August 1915. ↵
(viii) See Pollins' History. No address is listed in Jewish Year Books. ↵
(ix) The congregation was last listed in the Jewish Year Book 1928. ↵
(x) to (xii) Reserved.
(xiii) The Jewish Chronicle of 6 October 1916 refers to Rev. P. Freedman as the new minister of the congregation. He is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1917 through 1926, which is believed to be an error as he appears to have moved to Norwich in 1919 and the last press report of his being in Newbridge was The Jewish Chronicle of 9 May 1919. ↵
(xiv) Pollins' History. In addition, the Jewish Year Book 1927 lists Rev. A. Snadow of Newport as the congregation's shochet and teacher. ↵
(xv) and (xvi) Reserved.
(xvii) There is no reference to any other person serving as president of the congregation, although the first press report to refer to B. Roskin (formerly Rosovski) as president was The Jewish Chronicle of 19 February 1915. The Jewish Chronicle of 20 January 1920 reported that he had founded the congregation and served it as president for 25 Years (which would have fixed the founding year as 1895). He was listed as president of the congregation from its first appearance in Jewish Year Books (1914) until its final appearance (1928). ↵
(xviii) Mr. Levy was listed as treasurer of the congregation from its first appearance in Jewish Year Books (1914) through 1926 (although the first three editions gave his initial as "J"). He is also referred to as treasurer in a number of press reports, the first being The Jewish Chronicle of 3 November 1916. The Jewish Chronicle of 14 October 1935 carried his obituary, which stated that he was a founder of the congregation. ↵
(xix) Based upon M. Gershon being listed as treasurer and hon. secretary of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1927. ↵
(xx) Based upon A. Marks being listed as hon. secretary of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1914 through 1917. ↵
(xxi) Based upon H. Robinson being listed as hon. secretary of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1918 through 1926. ↵
(xxii) Based upon M. Gershon being listed as treasurer and hon. secretary of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1927. ↵
(xxiii) The Jewish Chronicle reported on 27 October 1916 that the Board of Directors had approved the application for certification of the first marriage secretary for the congregation and on 3 November 1916 that M. Barnett was elected as the congregation's secretary for marriages. M. Barnett was listed as secretary for marriages for the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1919 through 1927. ↵
(xxiv) Previous Registration District: Newport from 1 July 1837 to 1 July 1936; Caerleon from 1 July 1936 to 1 April 1974; and Newport from 1 April 1974 to 1 April 1996. All registers would now be held by the current office. ↵
(xxv) to (xxvii) Reserved.
(xxviii) Although the first published report of Hebrew classes was not until 1915, The Jewish Chronicle of 5 February 1915 reported on a presentation to Harry Roskin on his moving to Liverpool, when it was stated that he had founded the classes, obviously some time before 1915. ↵
(xxix) Referred to in The Jewish Chronicle report of 6 November 1903. ↵
(xxx) Referred to in The Jewish Chronicle report of 8 March 1908. ↵
(xxxi) The Jewish Chronicle of 4 January 1918. ↵
(xxxii) Referred to in The Jewish Chronicle of 5 January 1912. ↵
(xxxiii) Listed in Jewish Year Books 1919 through 1927. ↵

Former Jewish Communities in the county borough of Caerphilly home page

Jewish Congregations in the historic county of Glamorganshire

Jewish Congregations in the former administrative county of Gwent

Jewish Congregations in Wales, listed according to current unitary authorities

Jewish Communities & Congregations in Wales home page
(including online articles)

Page created: 13 May 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 11 December 2024
Page most recently amended: 12 December 2024

Research by David Shulman and Harold Pollins
Formatting by David Shulman

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