Cardiff Jewish Institute and Social Club

The Cardiff Jewish Club

3.15 Miles

LOCATION: 28 High Street

Cardiff Jewish Institute and Social Club

“A fully-paid up membership of 500 and an annual turnover of £3000.” [6]

1910  The Cardiff Jewish Institute opened with a ceremony

The Cardiff Jewish Institute opened with a ceremony at the Metropole Buildings, in the Hayes, on 3 July 1910.
 
A photo of The Cardiff Jewish Institute opening ceremony advertisement. Which opened on Sunday, July the 3rd 1910. Image Courtesy of Cajex.
Cardiff Jewish Institute. Programme and Souvenir of Opening Ceremony, 1910.  
Image credit Cajex: Magazine of the Association of Jewish Ex-service Men and Women (Cardiff), March 1986, p. 17.
 
Old photo of programme for Opening Ceremony 1986
Cardiff Jewish Institute. Opening ceremony, Programme of Proceedings, 1910. ​
Image credit Cajex: Magazine of the Association of Jewish Ex-service Men and Women (Cardiff), March 1986, p. 17.
The Cardiff Jewish Club in Station Terrace, opposite the station, held lectures, debates, concerts and whist drives. Managed by Harry Goldstein, it had football, cricket and table tennis sections.
 
A highlight was the annual outing to Southerndown and Ogmore, where a cricket match was played against a West Wales Jewish team, followed by tea and a dance. Charities benefiting included the Cardiff Royal infirmary, Cardiff Jewish Board of Guardians and Cardiff Institute for the Blind. 

1931  

In 1931, Harry Goldstein left to set up a Jewish guest house in Mary Street, Porthcawl. He was succeeded by Syd Shaw, who had been a chief catering officer in the Merchant Marine, and his wife Becky.

1930s  

In the 1930s, show business stars appearing included Nelly Wallace, the Inkspots and Cardiff-born future Broadway star "Two-Ton Tessie" O’Shea.
 
A photo of the tariff listing the cost of beverages. Image Courtesy of Glamorgan Archives.
Cardiff Jewish Institute and Social Club menu, c. 1930s. 
 Reproduced with the kind permission of Glamorgan Archives.

1933 - 1950s  The Cardiff Jewish Institute amalgamated with the Jewish Social Club

 
 
A modern photo of the High Street
28 High Street.
Image credit JHASW.
 
In 1933, the Cardiff Jewish Institute amalgamated with the Jewish Social Club (also known as the ‘Cinema’ club) to form the Cardiff Jewish Institute and Social Club, with premises in 28 High Street. The club had numerous card rooms, three full size snooker tables, table tennis, a very comfortable and spacious lounge and a kosher restaurant. The catering was of a very high standard.
 
Cardiff Jewish Institute and Social Club menu, c. 1930s. 
 Reproduced with the kind permission of Glamorgan Archives.
 
The club was a haven during the war for Jewish service men and their non-Jewish friends to spend a pleasant few hours leave. After the evacuation of Dunkirk the club was full of servicemen, some of whom had arrived back home without shoes and socks and in a distressing state. Syd Shaw explained: “The members subscribed handsomely with money to buy food and drink. Every possible effort was made to give these boys a rousing welcome.”[7]  
 
When the lease expired at the end of the war, the club moved to the Newport Road, but the out of town venue had less appeal. After an uneventful few years it was disbanded. Unsuccessful attempts were made to revive it in the 1950s.
 
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