HISTORY
Congregation Data Formed by the merger of two (or possibly three) congregations, including the "Englisher Shul" (then in Cathedral Road) and the "Foreigners' Shul" (then in Merches Place). Following the merger, it continued, until recently, to comprise more than one congregation at different locations, but forming one united (or, at times disunited) organization.
Original congregation (Old Hebrew Congregation):
1853 - 1858 Trinity Street, Cardiff
The first synagogue in Cardiff opened at East Terrace, Bute Street in 1858. It served a small but established Jewish population. In 1841 the Marquis of Bute had given land at Highfield for the Jewish Cemetery. Bute Street was the focus for several Jewish businesses, engaged in occupations such as shop keeping and pawn broking.
As the population rose steadily the synagogue at East Terrace was redeveloped and reopened in 1888. The following year Cardiff’s New Synagogue was formed at Edwards Place. Known as ‘Furriners Shul’ it seems that this was the focus for the more recent, poorer immigrants, in contrast to the ‘Englishe Shul’ in East Terrace.
The New Synagogue also secured a site from Bute and in 1900 the synagogue in Clare Road opened.
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Synagogue and School
Rooms, Clare Road, Grangetown, 1898.
However there was still a need for larger premises and the Marquess of Bute gave a site in Cathedral Road. This synagogue opened in 1897 following a closure service held in East Terrace, Cathedral Rd Synagogue closed in 1989.
Windsor Place congregation: 1918 - 1955 Windsor Place, Cardiff
The two communities soon merged, and the Cardiff United Synagogue was formed. With the ever increasing expansion of the city and the movement of the Jewish population away from the centre of Cardiff a need arose for synagogues nearer the residential districts .
Penylan Synagogue was opened in 1955, it closed in 2003, when a new Synagogue had been built in Cyncoed Gardens in 2003