the former

Rhyl Hebrew Congregations

and Jewish Community

Rhyl, Denbighshire, North Wales

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congregations throughout the British Isles and Gibraltar, both past and present.

Town of Rhyl

Rhyl (in Welsh: Y Rhyl) is a seaside town with a population of about 25,000. It lies on the northern coast of Wales facing the Irish Sea, close to the mouth of the river Clwyd and is about 45 miles west of Liverpool.

Until 1974, it formed the urban district of Rhyl in the county of Flintshire. From 1974 until 1996, it was part of the district of Rhuddlan in the then newly-formed county of Clwyd. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished as an administrative county and the district of Rhuddlan became part of the newly re-formed county of Denbighshire, a unitary authority, though somewhat smaller than the original county of Denbighshire (within the ceremonial, or preserved, county of Clwyd).

The Rhyl Jewish Community

There are reports of Jewish residents in Rhyl from at least the 1890s, when a congregation was organised but which become defunct early in the twentieth century. A congregation was re-established in the early 1940s, presumably by the influx of war-time evacuees from heavily populated cities, which lasted until the early 1980s but closed due to dwindling numbers.

Data on Earlier Congregation
Name:	Rhyl and District Hebrew Congregation⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Former Name:	Rhyl Hebrew Congregation, until 1898/99^(iv)
Addresses:	The earliest known synagogue premises were at the Synagogue Chambers, Wellington Road (above the Palace and Summer Gardens), Rhyl (from 1897^(v) until the premises became unusable in 1900^(vi)). The synagogue moved to Magnet Buildings, High Street (from 1900^(vii) until at least 1908, when the building, apart from the synagogue, was destroyed by fire^(viii)). During this period, services were also held at various other locations in Rhyl, including: Victoria Hall, High Street (c.1901)^(ix) and Sussex Street (c.1904).^(x) Finally services were held at Queen's Chambers (from at least 1909).^(xi)
Date Founded:	1897^(xiv)
Date Closed:	The congregation was included in 1914 in a list of defunct congregations^(xv) and there are references to the congregation ceasing to exist in about 1906,^(xvi) although the congregation continued, apparently erroneously, to be listed in Jewish Year Books until the early 1930s.^(xvii)
Ritual:	Orthodox - Ashkenazi
Readers: (To view a short profile of a minister whose name appears in blue - hold the cursor over his name.)	Rev. J. Kahan - from 1898 until 1899^(xix) Rev. B. Bogdanski - from 1899 until about 1901^(xx) Rev. Louis Abrahamson - from 1901 until about 1904^(xxi) Rev. J.H. Schulman - from about 1904 until about 1905^(xxii) Rev. J. Cohen - from about 1905 until probably about 1907^(xxiii)
Lay Officers:	Generally, the data below has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, first published in 1896/97,^(xxiv) supplemented by Jewish Chronicle press reports. However, it is believed that the congregation ceased to exist during the first decade of the twentieth century (see discussion under "Date Closed" above). Accordingly we have shown the terms of office of all three officers as terminating in about 1907, notwithstanding that they continued to be listed in Jewish Year Books as officers of the congregation until 1933.
	Presidents 1897-1899 - Morris Brodie 1899-1902 - Simon Eisiski 1902-1904 - J. Goldsmith 1904-c.1907 - Simon Eisiski^(xxv) Treasurers 1897-1899 - Simon Eisiski 1899-1902 - J. Goldsmith 1902-1903 - D. Priorman 1903-1904 - S. Ginsburg 1904-c.1907- A. Priceman^(xxvi)	Hon. Secretaries c.1897 - S.A. Cohen 1897-1901 - J. Levenson 1902-1904 - J. Sapiro 1904-1907 - S. Ginsburg c.1907 - David Priceman^(xxvi)
Membership Data:	1898 - 14 seatholders (Board of Deputies return) 1900 - 12 seatholders (Board of Deputies return) 1904 - 14 seatholders (Jewish Year Book 1904/05)
Notes & Sources - These now appear towards the foot of this page, instead of the foot this box. However, the note can also still be viewed in a pop-up box when the cursor is held over the note number.

Data on Later Congregation
Name:	Rhyl Hebrew Congregation
Last Address:	22 Queens Street, Rhyl (from about 1974)^(xxx)
Previous Address:	Lloyds Bank Chambers, Queens Street, Rhyl (from 1941 to about 1974)^(xxxi)
Date Founded:	1940^(xxxii)
Date Close:	About 1982^(xxxiii)
Ritual:	Orthodox - Ashkenazi
Readers or Ministers:	None Listed
Lay Officers:	The data below has been extracted from Jewish Year Books, which resumed publication following World War II, with the 1945/46 edition.^(xxxiv)
	Presidents 1945-1960 - J.H. Lipman 1960-1981 - S. Herman Treasurer 1945-1956 - J. Sugarman	Chairman 1945-1952 - H. Huglin Hon. Secretaries 1945-1952 - F. Jackson 1952-1954 - J. Rifkin 1954-1981 - H. Fox
Membership Data:	National Reports & Surveys^(xxxv) 1977 - 12 male (or household) members
Notes & Sources - These now appear towards the foot of this page, instead of the foot this box. However, the note can also still be viewed in a pop-up box when the cursor is held over the note number.

Other Rhyl Jewish Institutions

Other Jewish institutions that existed in the Community include the following:

Rhyl Jewish Philanthropic Society, established by 1900.

Congregational & Marriage Records
Registration District (BDM):	Denbighshire (since 13 June 2018) Previous registration district: St Asaph - 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1974. Rhuddlan - 1 April 1974 to 1 April 1996. Denbighshire North - 1 April 1996 to 13 June 2018. Any registers would now be held by the current register office. Register Office website

Jewish Cemetery Information

There were no Jewish cemeteries in north Wales, the closest such cemeteries being in Liverpool and Manchester. However, in 2010, a Jewish cemetery (along Liberal lines) was established in Llanrhos, Llandudno.

Rhyl Jewish Population Data (number for 1964 includes Prestatyn)
Year	Number	Source
1904	55	Jewish Year Book 1904/05
1964	20 families	Jewish Year Book 1965
1975	12 families	Jewish Year Book 1976

21st Century Jewish Population Data
County of Denbighshire (including Rhyl)
Year	Number	Source
2001	61	Census 2001 for England and Wales
2011	32	Census 2011 for England and Wales
2021	50	Census 2021 for England and Wales

Notes and Sources:
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) and (ii) Reserved.

(iii) This was the name as reported in various press reports from 1899, including the Jewish Chronicle report of 3 August 1900. ↵

(iv) This was the name under which the congregation was initially referred to in press reports until at least 1898 - Jewish Chronicle report of 3 June 1898. ↵

(v) Jewish Chronicle report of 29 October 1897. ↵

(vi) Jewish Chronicle report of 26 October 1900. ↵

(vii) Jewish Chronicle report of 23 November 1900. ↵

(viii) Jewish Chronicle report of 29 November 1907. ↵

(ix) Jewish Chronicle report of 8 February 1901. ↵

(x) Jewish Chronicle report of 16 September 1904. ↵

(xi) Jewish Year Book 1910. ↵

(xii) and (xiii) Reserved.

(xiv) Jewish Chronicle report of 29 October 1897. ↵

(xv) Jewish Chronicle report of 7 July 1933. ↵

(xvi) An entry in Jewish Year Books 1935 through 1939 stated, possibly erroneously, that the congregation had ceased to exist in about 1906 and a Jewish Chronicle report of 13 December 1940 repeated this statement. ↵

(xvii) The last listing was in the Jewish Year Book 1933, which continued to show the address as Queen's Chambers and list the lay officers. ↵

(xviii) Reserved.

(xix) Jewish Chronicle report of 29 April 1898 on Rev. Kahan's election as reader and his listing as such in the Jewish Year Book 1898/99. There was no reader listed in the 1899/1900 edition. ↵

(xx) Based upon Jewish Chronicle report of 22 September 1899 of Rev. Bogdanski conducting the services and the election of his successor in 1901, notwithstanding his listing as reader for the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1901/02 through 1903/04. ↵

(xxi) Based upon Jewish Chronicle report of 24 May 1901 of Rev. Abrahamson's election to office and subsequent reports of his conducting services in 1902 and still living in Rhyl in 1904. He is not listed in the Jewish Year Book. ↵

(xxii) Based upon Jewish Chronicle report of 16 September 1904 of Rev. Schulman conducting the services and his listing as reader for the congregation in the Jewish Year Book 1904/05. ↵

(xxiii) Although Rev. Cohen was listed as reader for the congregation in Jewish Year Books 1905/6 through 1929, this is believed to be an error as the congregation appears to have closed in about 1907. (See discussion under "Date Closed" above.) There are no known references to him in any press reports. ↵

(xxiv) Unless more precise data is available from press reports, where a person is first listed in a year book as holding a particular office, it has been assumed that his term of office commenced in the year of publication of the relevant year book and that he continued in office until the commencement of office of his successor, unless the office was vacant. Initially year books corresponded to the Hebrew year, and thus ran roughly from autumn of one year - the year of publication - until autumn of the next year. From 1909, year books were published according to the Gregorian year, being published generally towards the end of the year prior to the year appearing in the title of the year book. For example, if an officer is listed in Jewish Year Books 1909 through 1912, it is assumed that he commenced office in 1908 and continued in office until 1912. However, it should be noted that this is only an assumption and, accordingly, his actual years of office may differ somewhat from those shown here. ↵

(xxv) Although S. Eiseiski was listed as president for the congregation in Jewish Year Books until 1933, this is clearly an error, as not only did the congregation appear to have become defunct in about 1907, but notice of Simon Eisiski's death on 16 March 1908 (in his 41st year) was reported in the Jewish Chronicle of 20 March 1908. ↵

(xxvi) Erroneously listed as an officer of the congregation in Jewish Year Books until 1933. The congregation appears to have become defunct in about 1907. (See discussion under "Date Closed" above.) ↵

(xxvii) to (xxix) Reserved.

(xxx) This was the address given for the congregation in Jewish Year Books from 1975. ↵

(xxxi) Jewish Chronicle report of 4 April 1941 referred to the acquisition of these premises, which was listed as the address of the congregation in Jewish Year Books until the 1974 edition. ↵

(xxxii) Jewish Chronicle report of 13 December 1940. ↵

(xxxii) Based upon last the congregation's listing in Jewish Year Book 1981. ↵

(xxxiv) See note (xxiv). ↵

(xxxv) Report on synagogue membership in the United Kingdom, published by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Click HERE for links to the report. ↵

Jewish Congregations in the historic county of Flintshire

Jewish Congregations in the former county of Clwyd

Jewish Congregations in Wales, listed according to current unitary authorities

Jewish Communities & Congregations in Wales home page

Page created: 9 October 2005
Data significantly expanded and notes first added: 19 November 2020
Page most recently amended: 6 February 2025

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