From November 2023 to April 2024, we are undertaking a scoping project to ascertain where in mid-, west, and north Wales the historic Jewish presence can be identified and what material relating to the Jewish communities there is already available or is yet to be discovered.

 

Mid-, west, and especially north Wales have a rich Jewish history. Jews moved there in large numbers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, escaping persecution in Eastern Europe. During WW2, the refugees from National Socialism found sanctuary there. However, the Jewish communities in these areas have largely disappeared, as has awareness of their presence and contribution.

 

So far, there has been no co-ordinated effort to document their presence and preserve and share their heritage.

 

We will determine what material relating to Jewish heritage is being held by local archives, museums, and libraries. We will talk to local history and heritage organisations and research local newspapers.

 

We will assess the viability of contacting the remaining members of these communities.

 

We will explore what outputs, digital and physical, could be created and how to best share this heritage with the wider public.

 

The results of this scoping project will inform the development of a larger project to preserve and share the Jewish heritage of mid-, west, and north Wales.

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We would be delighted to hear from anyone who has any information about Jewish communities or archives in these areas.