the former

Swansea Beth Hamedrash

Swansea, South Wales

JCR-UK is a genealogical and historical website covering all Jewish communities and congregations
throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

Congregation Data
Name:	Swansea Beth Hamedrash (also known as the "Greeners' Shul")⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Address:	Prince of Wales Street, Greenhill, Swansea SA1^(iv)
Date Founded:	The origins of the congregation dates back to about 1895, when the Prince of Wales Road Minyan was formed by a breakaway group from the Swansea Hebrew Congregation, comsisting primarily of poor Yiddish-speaking recent immigrants, who were generally more orthodox than the established congregation.^(v) Their spokesman at the time was David Rutter, and later (by 1899), A. Shepherd.^(vi) Although it was initially supplementary to the main synagogue, it developed as a separate congregation,^(vii) in particular when it built its own synagogue in 1906 (which is often given as the date the congregation was established^(viii)). The foundation stone for the new synagogue was laid in November 1906.^(ix)
Final Status:	The congregation ceased to function about 1954,^(x) and was effectively incorporated into Swansea Hebrew Congregation.
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Ministers:	The is currently only scant information on the congregation's spiritual leaders. The following is data uncovered so far. Rabbi S.M. Rabbinowitz was appointed rav of the Beth Hamedrash in 1911, but left shortly afterwards as the congregation could not afford to pay his salary.^(xiv) He was also treasurer of Chevras Shass in Swansea.^(xv) Rabbi Moshe Shimon Turetsky was reported to have served as minister in Swansea until shortly before his death in 1919,^(xvi) and it is believed that this was with the Beth Hamedrash.^(xix) Rev. Israel Litovitch was shochet, reader and teacher at the Beth Hamedrash in the 1920s, until about 1930.^(xx) Rev. Maurice Schwartz - reader/minister, shochet and teacher from about 1932 until January 1945.^(xxi) Rev. Baruchas. M. Starr - reader/minister from about 1946 until about 1948.^(xxii)
Lay Officers:^(xxvi)	Presidents 1908-1909 - Abraham Levy 1909-1911 - S. Green 1911-1914 - H. Coffman 1914-1918 - P. Levi 1918-1921 - J. Ruck 1921-1924 - P. Levi 1924-1927 - J. Black 1927-1930 - M. Silverstone 1930-1931 - B. Karlin 1931-1939 - H. Cohen 1939-1940 - J. Black 1940-1945 - no data 1945-1946 - J. Black 1946-1950 - L. Goldstone	Treasurers 1908-1909 - D. Saul 1909-1911 - M. Foner 1911-1913 - A. Herman 1913-1914 - P. Levi 1914-1924 - M. Cohen 1924-1926 - M. Kramsky 1926-1930 - M. Cohen 1930-1934 - J. Black 1934-1936 - B. Karlin 1936-1940 - J. Black 1940-1945 - no data 1945-1946 - L. Goldstone 1946-1950 - N. Samuel
	Secretaries and Hon. Secretaries
	1911-1913 - Abraham Levy 1918-1926 - Mr. Beckman 1926-1927 - Mr. Seal	1927-1931 - M. Solomon 1939-1940 - Rev. Maurice Schwartz 1946-1950 - L. Goldstone
Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above) (i) and (ii) Reserved. (iii) 1730-1980 a souvenir brochure of the Swansea Hebrew Congregation (the "Souvenir Brochure"), p.47. ↵ (iv) This was the address listed in Jewish Year Books from 1909. ↵ (v) The Souvenir Brochure, p.47 and Ursula R.Q. Henriques's The Jews of South Wales, 2013 ("Henriques"), p.101. ↵ (vi) Henriques pp.101-3. ↵ (vii) Note in the Jewish Year Book 1947. ↵ (viii) Jewish Chronicle report of 9 November 1906 and note in Jewish Year Books 1909 and the Souvenir Brochure, p.47. ↵ (ix) Henriques, p.103. ↵ (x) The Souvenir Brochure, p.47. The last separate listing of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book was in the 1953 edition. ↵ (xi) to (xiii) Reserved. (xiv) Henriques pp.103/4. ↵ (xv) Listed as treasurer of Swansea's Chevra Shass in Jewish Year Books 1911 through 1913. ↵ (xvi) Jolles, p.930. ↵ (xvii) to (xviii) Reserved. (xix) Rabbi Turetsky is not listed in any Jewish Year Book with regard to this congregation or any other congregation and is not among the ministers or readers listed elsewhere for the Swansea Hebrew Congregation. The Souvenir Brochure, p.55, states that a Mr. H. Turetsky was among the four members of staff in 1916/1919 at the cheder of the Swansea Hebrew Congregation. ↵ (xx) The Souvenir Brochure, p.67, states that "in 1930" Rev. M. Schwartz succeeded Rev. Litovitch "as shochet / reader / teacher to the Beth Hamedrash". However it appears that Rev. Schwartz only commenced serving in about 1932 and accordingly Rev. Litovitch could well have continued serving beyond 1930. Elsewhere it had been reported that Rev. I. Litovitch had taught in Swansea in the mid 1920s. ↵ (xxi) The Jewish Chronicle of 19 January 1945 reported that, after 13 years as chazzan, shochet and mohel in the Swansea Beth Hamedrash, Rev M. Schwarz is leaving to take up a position in Darlington. The Souvenir Brochure, p.67, however, stated that Rev. M. Schwartz acted from 1930 "as shochet / reader / teacher to the Beth Hamedrash", and "moved on" after about ten years, which is somewhat contradictory to the press report. He was listed, as minister of the Beth Hamedrash, only the Jewish Year Book 1940. ↵ (xxii) The Souvenir Brochure, p.67, however, stated that Rev. M. Schwartz acted from 1930 "as shochet / reader / teacher to the Beth Hamedrash", and "moved on" after about ten years, which is somewhat contradictory to the press report. Rev. B. Starr was listed as minister and reader of the Beth Hamedrash in Jewish Year Books 1947 through 1949. ↵ (xxiii) to (xxv) Reserved. (xxvi) Based upon listings in Jewish Year Books. Where a person was first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, we have assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor. During this period, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book. For example, if an officer was listed in Jewish Year Books 1929 through 1932, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1928 and continued in office until 1932. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, his actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. ↵

Swansea Jewish Community home page

Jewish Congregations in the former historic of Glamorganshire

Jewish Congregations in the former county of West Glamorgan

Jewish Congregations in Wales, according to current unitary authorities

Jewish Communities & Congregations in Wales home page

Page created: 22 April 2005
Notes first added: 28 December 2017
Page significantly expanded: 20 September 2024
Page most recently amended: 13 October 2024

Research and formatting by David Shulman

Explanation of Terms | About JCR-UK | JCR-UK home page

Contact JCR-UK Webmaster:
jcr-ukwebmaster@jgsgb.org.uk

Terms and Conditions, Licenses and Restrictions for the use of this website:

This website is owned by JewishGen and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain. All material found herein is owned by or licensed to us. You may view, download, and print material from this site only for your own personal use. You may not post material from this site on another website without our consent. You may not transmit or distribute material from this website to others. You may not use this website or information found at this site for any commercial purpose.