the former

Bridgend Hebrew Congregation

Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales

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Borough and Town of Bridgend

The town of Bridgend (in Welsh: Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) in South Wales, with a population of about 40,000, lies on both banks of the river Ogmore and is about half way between Cardiff (20 miles to the east) and Swansea (24 miles to the west).

Until 1974, Bridgend formed the urban district of Bridgend in the then county of Glamorganshire. In 1974, it merged with a number of other local authorities (including the urban district of Porthcawl) to form the district of Ogwr in the county of Mid Glamorgan. In 1996, most of the former district of Ogwr (including Bridgend and Porthcawl) was formed into the county borough of Bridgend, a unitary authority (in the ceremonial, or preserved, county of Mid Glamorgan). The county borough had a population of about 135,000.

The Jewish Community

A Jewish congregation existed in the town of Bridgend in the early part of the twentieth century, and another may have been formed in nearby Porthcawl (which is also now part of the present county borough of Bridgend).

Congregation Data
Name:	Bridgend Hebrew Congregation⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Address:	From 1927, the community's synagogue and classrooms were at Adare Street, Bridgend. The synagogue, formerly the Bridgend Council Chambers, was consecrated on Sunday, 16 January 1927.^(iv) The previous address of the synagogue is not currently known, there being several press references to "Synagogue Chambers", but no address was given.
Formation:	The congregation was formed in 1907.^(v) The congregation appears shortly thereafter to have experienced a decline, as it required to be "re-established" in 1913.^(vi)
Closure:	The congregation appears to have become defunct by the late 1940s or early 1950s.^(vii)
Ritual:	Ashkenazi Orthodox
Affiliation:	The congregation was an unaffiliated congregation presumably under the aegis of the Chief Rabbi.
Ministers and Readers: (To view a short profile of a minister or reader - hold the cursor over his name.)	Rev. Louis Wolfe - minister/reader from about 1909 until 1910.^(x) Rev. Isaac Domnitz - minister/reader, shochet and teacher from 1910 until 1911.^(xi) Rev. Morris Balanow - shochet and teacher in 1911.^(xii) Rev. Morris Roith - minister/reader, shochet and teacher in and about 1916.^(xiii) Rev. Meyer Belozercobsky - minister/reader from 1917 to date uncertain.^(xiv) Rev. Michael Isaacs - minister/reader from 1927 to 1928.^(xv)
Lay Officers:	The sources for the following data on lay officers are Jewish Year Book listings^(xix) and the extracted Jewish Chronicle press reports. In many instances, these sources as regards this congregation appear to be contradictory and the exact dates of service cannot be stated with any degree of certainty.
	Presidents P. Harris - from 1907 until about 1909, during the 1910s and from about 1932 until the demise of the congregation.^(xx) H. Rose - 1909-1910^(xxi) H. Ehrenberg - 1911-1912^(xxii) I. Grennan - late 1910s and 1920s^(xxiii) L. Stuppel - 1920s^(xxiv) S. Tennebaum - c.1925^(xxv) H. Levine - late 1920 and early 1930s^(xxvi)	Treasurers C. Freedman - from 1907 until about 1909 and during 1911^(xxx) M. Cohen - 1909-1910^(xxxi) M. Bersovitz - c.1911^(xxxii) H. Ehrenberg - 1911-1912^(xxxiii) Joseph Price - c.1918^(xxxiv) J. Mindling - c.1925^(xxxv) I. Levi - 1928/32^(xxxvi) H. Morris - from about 1932 until the demise of the congregation^(xxxvii)
	Secretaries and Hon. Secretaries
	C. Zausmer - 1907-1909^(xl) E. Reuben - 1909-1910^(xli) J. Mindling - c.1911 and c.1925^(xlii) Miss Sophia Rose - c.1918^(xliii)	J. Casper Brag - c.1928/32^(xliv) Bertram Morris - c.1932/36^(xlv) S. Kay - c.1937^(xlvi) Philip Morris - c.1937/38^(xlvii)
Registration District:	Bridgend, since 1 April 1996^(l) - Link to Register Office website
Cemetery Information:	There was no Jewish cemetery in Bridgend, the nearest being in Swansea or Cardiff.

Online Articles and Other Material
relating to the Bridgend Jewish Community

on JCR-UK

Press Reports relating to the Bridgend Jewish Community 1875 - 2000 extracted by Harold Pollins.
Bibliography

Other Bridgend Jewish Institutions & Organisations

Hebrew and Religious Classes, founded on the formation of the congregation, if not earlier. Following the closure of the congregation, the classes continue and, by the 1960s, were serving Bridgend, Porthcawl and Ogmore Vale.^(li)
Jewish Literary and Social Society, founded in 1926.^(lii)
Jewish National Fund, founded by 1927.^(liii)

Bridgend Jewish Population Data
Year	Number	Source
1945	19	Jewish Year Book 1945/6
1961	12	Jewish Year Book 1962
1965	10 families	Jewish Year Book 1966
1973	6 families	Jewish Year Book 1974
2001	42*	Census 2001 for England and Wales
2011	33*	Census 2011 for England and Wales
2021	45*	Census 2021 for England and Wales
* Figures are for the whole County Borough of Bridgend.

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) and (ii) Reserved.
(iii) This formal name appears in several advertisements by the congregation in the The Jewish Chronicle and also in the Jewish Year Book listings. ↵
(iv) The Jewish Chronicle of 21 January 1927. ↵
(v) Note in Jewish Year Books from 1909, the first edition in which the community was listed. ↵
(vi) The Jewish Chronicle of 13 July 1913. ↵
(vii) Listed as already defunct in The Jewish Chronicle of 14 March 1952. Although the community remained listed in Jewish Year Books until 1980, there were no new appointments of officers subsequent to about 1945, an indication that the synagogue no longer functioned, although it appears that the Hebrew classes continued into the 1960s. ↵
(viii) and (ix) Reserved
(x) Rev. Wolfe was still in Dublin in 1908. The Jewish Chronicle of 1 July 1910 reported his move from Bridgend to Bolton.. ↵
(xi) Rev. Domnitz is listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1911 and 1912. The Jewish Chronicle of 22 July 1910 reported his election as chazan, shochet and teacher and according to The Jewish Chronicle of 9 June 1911 he was still in Bridgend the following year. By October 1911, the congregation had already appointed another shochet and teacher. ↵
(xii) The Jewish Chronicle of 20 October 1911 reported a Mr. Belanow's appointment as shochet and teacher, and this is believed to refer to Rev. M. Balanov. ↵
(xiii) The Jewish Chronicle of 22 September 1916 reported Rev. Roith at Bridgend. However the congregation had advertised for his position in July 1916 and again did so in July 1917. ↵
(xiv) Rev. M. Belozercobsky was listed as minister of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1918 through 1921. ↵
(xv) The Jewish Chronicle of 15 April 1927 reported Rev. Isaacs's appointment as minister of the congregation and on 11 May 1928 it reported his departure to Wolverhampton. ↵
(xvi) to (xviii) Reserved.
(xix) The congregation was first listed in the Jewish Year Book 1909 Publication of the year book was suspended during the war years 1941/5 and there was no listing of officers of this congregation after the 1949 edition. Furthermore, there were no year book listings of presidents of this congregation from 1913 through 1916, and of treasurers and hon. secretaries from 1913 through 1928. ↵
(xx) P. Harris was listed as president of the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1909, 1911 and from 1933 through 1949 (except for the war years 1941/5, when publication was suspended). He is referred to as president of the congregation in The Jewish Chronicle of 16 October 1908 (reporting his re-election), 10 February 1911, 9 June 1911, 18 October 1918 and 22 October 1937. ↵
(xxii) H. Rose was listed as president in the Jewish Year Book 1910. ↵
(xxii) H. Ehrenberg was listed as president and treasurer in the Jewish Year Book 1912. The Jewish Chronicle of 20 October 1911 confirmed his election as president and treasurer. ↵
(xxiii) I. Grennan was listed as president in Jewish Year Books 1917 through 1923. He was only referred to as president in The Jewish Chronicle reports of 7 March 1924 and 21 January 1927. ↵
(xxiv) L. Stuppel was listed as president in Jewish Year Books 1922 through 1928. He was not referred to as president in any The Jewish Chronicle reports. ↵
(xxv) The Jewish Chronicle of 28 August 1925 reported S. Tennebaum's election as president. He is not listed in Jewish Year Books. ↵
(xxvi) H. Levine was listed as president in Jewish Year Books 1929 through 1932. He was not referred to as president in any The Jewish Chronicle reports. ↵
(xxvii) to (xxix) Reserved.
(xxx) C. Freedman was listed as treasurer of the congregation in the Jewish Year Books 1909. He is referred to as treasurer of the congregation in The Jewish Chronicle of 16 October 1908 (which reported his re-election) and 9 June 1911. ↵
(xxxi) M. Cohen was listed as treasurer in the Jewish Year Book 1910 but not in any press report. ↵
(xxxii) M. Bersovitz was listed as treasurer in the Jewish Year Book 1911 but not in any press report. ↵
(xxxiii) H. Ehrenberg was listed as president and treasurer in the Jewish Year Book 1912. The Jewish Chronicle of 20 October 1911 confirmed his election as president and treasurer. ↵
(xxxiv) The Jewish Chronicle of 18 October 1918 reported Joseph Price's election as treasurer of the congregation. He is not listed in Jewish Year Books. ↵
(xxv) The Jewish Chronicle of 28 August 1925 referred to J. Mindling as treasurer (and secretary) of the congregation. He is not listed in Jewish Year Books as treasurer. ↵
(xxxvi) I. Levi was listed as treasurer in Jewish Year Books 1929 through 1932 but not in any press report. ↵
(xxxvii) A Mr. Morris was listed as treasurer of the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1933 through 1949 (except for the war years 1941/5, when publication was suspended), although he was listed as J. Morris in 1933 and 1934, as M. Morris in 1935 and as H. Morris in all other years (but all are presumed to refer to the same person, as living in Park Street, Bridgend). The only press report referring to him as treasurer is The Jewish Chronicle report of 22 October 1937. ↵
(xxxviii) and (xxxix) Reserved.
(xl) C. Zausmer was listed as hon. secretary of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1909. The Jewish Chronicle of 16 October 1908 reported his re-election as hon. secretary. ↵
(xli) E. Reuben was listed as hon. secretary in the Jewish Year Book 1910 but not in any press report. ↵
(xlii) J. Mindling was listed as hon. secretary of the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1912 and The Jewish Chronicle reports of 20 October 1911 and 28 August 1925 refer to him as hon. secretary. ↵
(xliii) The Jewish Chronicle of 18 October 1918 reported Miss Rose's election as hon. secretary of the congregation. She is not listed in Jewish Year Books. ↵
(xliv) J. Casper Brag was listed as hon. secretary in Jewish Year Books 1929 through 1932 but not in any press report. ↵
(xlv) Bertram Morris was listed as hon. secretary in Jewish Year Books 1933 through 1936 but not in any press report. ↵
(xlvi) The Jewish Chronicle of 22 October 1937 refered to S. Kay as hon. secretary of the congregation. He is not listed in Jewish Year Books. ↵
(xlvii) Phillip Morris was listed as hon. secretary in Jewish Year Books 1937 and 1938 but not in any press report. ↵
(xlviii) and (xlix) Reserved.
(l) Previous Registration Districts: Bridgend from 1 July 1837 to 1 October 1970; Mid Glamorgan from 1 October 1970 to 1 April 1974; and Ogwr from 1 April 1974 to 1 April 1996. All records would now be held by the current office. ↵
(li) Listed in Jewish Year Books from 1962. ↵
(lii) The Jewish Chronicle report of 15 January 1926. ↵
(liii) First listed in the Jewish Year Book 1928. ↵

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: 23 August 2006
Data significantly expanded and notes added: 12 February 2025
Page most recently amended: 18 February 2025

Research and formatting by David Shulman

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