Educational Resources

This Digital Resource Library was created by the Jewish Museum London learning team. The Library brings together objects, video and audio that relate to the Jewish experience in Wales from collections across the country and is specifically designed for teachers and students.

Pamphlet (Object)

Copyright/attribution: Jewish History Association of South Wales

Copyright/attribution: Jewish History Association of South Wales

Copyright/attribution: Jewish History Association of South Wales

Object held at Cynon Valley Museum, Digital Image & Research copyright Jewish Historical Association of South Wales.

What do you see?

We can see the symbol for the British Legion. We can also see the words ‘Aberdare Branch.’ Look closely, what can you see?

What do we know?

This is a pamphlet for concert held at the Rex Cinema, Aberdare for Remembrance Sunday. The annual remembrance concert was hosted by the Aberdare Branch of the British Legion on Sunday 12th November 1950. The Cecilian Girls Choir sang at the concert and inside the pamphlet the hymns and songs that they performed are listed. All the money raised from the concert went to Orphan Children’s Fund. At the bottom of the front of the pamphlet we can see that the piano used in the service was ‘kindly lent by Mr. Victor Freed, Aberdare.’

Victor Freed was born in Russia in 1883 and later moved to Wales where he was a prominent member of the Jewish community in Aberdare. Victor Freed ran a family business running many music shops in Aberdare and Mountain Ash.

Victor was known in the community for his charity work. He helped to furnish some council houses built in Aberdare in the 1960s and in 1958 funded a new ward at the Penylan Home for the Aged Jews of Cardiff.

Victor was an active member of the synagogue in Aberdare, taking on many different community roles including the last secretary of the synagogue before it closed in the mid 1960s.

Victor died in 1966, aged 83.

What do you wonder?

We might wonder how many people attended the concert? We also might wonder how much money was raised for the Orphan Children’s Fund? What do you wonder?

Discussion Questions

Why is charity important?

The Hebrew word ‘Tzedakah’ means justice, and is often understood as donating money to charity. What other ways are there to bring justice into the world?