£1.7m funding boost set for synagogue redevelopment
Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter
The redevelopment of a synagogue in a Valleys town into a Jewish heritage centre is set to get £1.7m in grant funding.
The Welsh Government has announced a £12.6m package to go towards town centre regeneration and Merthyr Tydfil’s Grade II-listed synagogue will get £1.7m from this round of funding to help transform it into a Welsh Jewish cultural centre.
The heritage centre will present the more than 250-year history, traditions, and culture of the Welsh Jewish community while also addressing contemporary issues around religious and ethnic diversity, promoting inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue while combating ignorance and prejudice.
The Jewish congregation was established in 1848 before it ceased as a place of worship in 1983.
After that the former synagogue took on a variety of uses, including a gym, but since 2006 it has been empty.
In 2022 the Foundation for Jewish Heritage successfully secured funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme to bring the building back to life.
In 2018 the foundation conducted a feasibility study funded by the Muriel and Gershon Coren Charitable Trust exploring the viability of a heritage centre at the building, which was deemed as being at risk.
The foundation went on to purchase the site in 2019 and carried out urgent repairs in 2020 with financial support from private trusts, individual donors, and Cadw.
Cabinet secretary for housing and local government, Jayne Bryant, said: “This funding is not just about infrastructure – it is about creating real, tangible change for the people who live and work in these areas.
“By revitalising town centres, supporting local businesses, and improving public spaces we are helping to build places where communities can thrive both socially and economically.
“We know that strong, vibrant high streets are the backbone of wider economic growth across Wales. When our town centres succeed they attract investment, create jobs, and provide opportunities that benefit the whole region.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
It’s encouraging to see this synagogue being redeveloped into a Jewish cultural heritage centre. I hope similar investment is made in preserving the heritage of other faiths as well. However, this building should not only tell the story of Jewish people who settled in and contributed to Welsh society, but also serve as a beacon for peace in the Middle East and an advocate for a two-state solution, rather than standing merely as a monument.
I hope and pray that our beloved Jewish brothers and sisters will once again see Wales as a country that cherishes them, and in which they will feel always welcome.
At a time when anti-Semitism is ever on the increase (The Jewish Ambulance Service just one recent incident of many ) this is really heartening. The Jewish Community, like the Sikh Community, have a long and respected history within the UK, and long may it continue.