Below are a few recent developments with the Foundation’s flagship Merthyr Tydfil synagogue/Welsh Jewish Heritage Centre project.
Our Welsh History
Wales has become the first nation within the UK to mandate for the teaching of the history of minorities within the schools’ curriculum. This allows a wonderful opportunity for learners to appreciate the significant contribution of the Jewish communities within Wales.
Merthyr Synagogue and the Jews of Wales are represented in ‘Our Welsh History‘, which is an online resource for teachers, see link below – section PS2-3, and do locate the synagogue on the map on the Home page!
Hay Castle
Foundation Chief Executive Michael Mail and Merthyr Project Manager Neil Richardson were invited to visit Hay Castle to meet with Trustee Alice Sherwood and CEO Tom True to explore future collaboration.
There is a current exhibition at the Castle featuring émigré Jewish artists who settled in Wales in the 1930s and 40s.
Visioning Day
An important day long workshop was held at Soar Theatre in Merthyr convened by Cultural Associates Oxford (CAO) who are working on the Interpretation, Activity and Business Planning aspects of the Merthyr project.
The session explored the key themes that the project represents, core audiences that the project is seeking to engage, and the main outcomes that it was hoped would be achieved. In addition to the CAO team, also present were Foundation Chief Executive Michael Mail, Project Manager Neil Richardson, Foundation Trustee Esther Robinson Wild, Steering Committee member Adam Hitchings, Community Engagement Officer Ash Collins and Emily Smith who is working on activity planning.
Art Exhibition
Foundation Chief Executive Michael Mail visited the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea to meet with Welsh artist and arts commentator Ceri Thomas who has curated an exhibition of Gallery works that include Jewish-linked paintings.
