the former

Porth Jewish Community

Rhondda-Cynon-Taf, South Wales

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

Town of Porth

Porth (Welsh: Y Porth, meaning "The Gate") is a small town (population about 6,000) situated in the Rhondda Valley in south Wales, lying at the point (the "Gateway") where the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys meet. It is situated some 16 miles north-west of Cardiff, approximately halfway between Pontypridd and Tonypandy (about 3 miles in each direction).

From 1879, Porth was in the urban district of Ystradyfodwg in the county of Glamorganshire. In 1897, the district was renamed the urban district of Rhondda (becoming a municipal borough in 1955), still within the county of Glamorganshire. From 1974 until 1996, Porth was part of the district of Rhondda in the new county of Mid Glamorgan. Since 1996, it has formed part of the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf - a unitary authority (within the ceremonial, or preserved, county of Mid Glamorgan).

The Jewish Community

A small Jewish community appears to have existed in Porth towards the end of the nineteenth century.

Congregation Data
Congregation:	Although there were several reports of Jews living in Porth, currently, the only known report of the existence of an organised Jewish congregation was in The Jewish Chronicle of 17 October 1890, which reported the election of officers at "a meeting of the members of the Porth Congregation", adding that the "synagogue has only been established recently and is progressing very satisfactorily". The services would certainly have been Ashkenazi Orthodox.
Lay Officers:	The following officers were elected at the meeting held in October 1890:^{⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾} J. Isaacs (Porth), president; Mr. Pollick, treasurer; and J. Freedgoot, Honorary Ssecretary
Registration District:	Rhondda Cynon Taf, since 1 October 2002^{^(iv)}- Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	There was no Jewish cemetery in Porth, the nearest being at Pontypridd, some 3 miles to the south-east.

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to the Porth Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

Some Thoughts on the Rhondda Valley Communities by Harold Pollins.
Press Reports about the Jewish Community of Pontypridd and Surrounding Areas, 1852-2006, which include a number of references to Porth.

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) and (ii) Reserved.
(iii) A Jewish Chronicle report of 7 October 1890. ↵
(iv) The Registration District was previously known as Pontypridd until 1 October 2002. All records would now be held by the current office. ↵

Former Jewish Communities in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf home page

Jewish Congregations in the former county of Glamorganshire

Jewish Congregations in the former administrative county of Mid Glamorgan

Jewish Congregations in Wales, listed according to current unitary authorities

Jewish Communities & Congregations in Wales home page

Page created: 20 January 2025
Page most recently amended: 20 January 2025

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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