About this talk

This talk explores the history of Jews in Wales, beginning in Roman times and tracing Jewish connections over the centuries, including the medieval and early modern periods, when Jews were few in number but played an outsized role in the Welsh imagination. 

The first modern communities emerged in the eighteenth century, with further congregations established throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Over time, these communities grew, influenced by successive waves of immigration, particularly from Poland and Lithuania.

The Jewish population of Wales reached its height in the period between the two world wars, but has gradually declined in the decades since. Focusing on communities in Cardiff, Swansea, and smaller towns, this talk will highlight the people, places, and stories that shaped Jewish life in Wales—warts and all.

About Nathan

Nathan Abrams is a professor at Bangor University in Wales. Since arriving there in 2006, he has learned Welsh and dedicated himself to uncovering the hidden Jewish history of Wales, which stretches back some 2,000 years. Over the past two decades, he has been involved in numerous initiatives to rejuvenate Bangor's Jewish community and raise awareness of the hidden history of Jews in North Wales, work that has inspired this talk.

He has written about Welsh Jewish history for magazines and newspapers, created maps and exhibitions, and led walking tours, many of which have received awards. He is the author of the recent book Jews in the Welsh Imagination: Medieval Times to the Present.