The Welsh Jewish Cultural Centre project team was delighted to welcome Merthyr Tydfil's council leader on site this week, spending time talking them through our plans to bring the former Victorian synagogue back to life.
Councillor Geraint Thomas, Leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, visited the Synagogue to meet with our project director Neil Richardson and Michael Mail, Chief Executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage - the charity which purchased the building with the aim of preserving this historic building.
Together, they were able to look at the plans for the restoration of the building and share their vision for the creation of a new Welsh Jewish Cultural Centre. They also spent time at the meeting looking over the original deeds for the Synagogue, which were recently discovered and returned to the building.
The new Welsh Jewish Cultural Centre will convey the life and contribution of the Welsh Jewish community. We will tell the story of centuries of Jewish history within Wales. Our exhibitions will cover a myriad of subjects - from Jewish culture and values to the Jewish calendar and life cycle.
This meeting was a great opportunity to talk to local decisionmakers and share the stories of Jewish history right on our doorstep.
The Centre will also be looking at Jewish relations with wider society and examining the impact of world events including the Holocaust. We will preserve the stories of the past in order to play a meaningful role in society today.
The Welsh Jewish Cultural Centre will tell the stories of the Jewish community in Wales. We will have a series of permanent and temporary exhibitions in our museum, and we will develop educational programmes and curriculum resources to support these.
We plan to offer arts and culture programmes linked to the Welsh Jewish story and migrant experience - including lectures and workshops, festivals and events. We'll also work with our local community to include them in our plans and will our building will be available to hire for functions and meetings.
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