Latest news with #MagenDavidSynagogue
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Travel + Leisure
04-06-2025
- General
- Travel + Leisure
How a Once-thriving Jewish Community Helped Shape Kolkata, India
Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is a city layered in history. There are colonial palaces next to street markets, and winding lanes that take you through the centuries on a stroll. Among the many communities that helped shape its identity is the Baghdadi Jewish diaspora, a small but influential group that arrived from the Middle East in the late 18th century, drawn by the promise of acceptance. "We were not tolerated in India, we were not accepted in India, but we were embraced by India," says Jael Silliman, a writer, educator, and lifelong Calcutta resident whose family came from Aleppo and Iraq, in the episode. "Jews rose to every level of society. Whatever they sought to do, they could do that." Jewish traders made their way east from the Middle East, following commercial routes to Calcutta, which was just emerging as a hub for British colonial trade, though, as Sillman says, "India has always been a place where Jews came. We've been here since the time of King Solomon, from the time of the Bible." They brought with them Hebrew prayer, Arabic foods, and Judeo-Arabic dialects. "A lot of Baghdadi Jews started to come to Calcutta because of the trade opportunities," journalist and tour leader Rahel Musleah shares in the episode. "And the fact that there was no anti-Semitism in India, which is a very, very big deal." Here, they thrived, building businesses, schools, and synagogues, some of which still stand today, including the grand Magen David Synagogue, a stunning building with Italian marble floors, stained glass, and a striking steeple known by locals as the lal girja , or "red church." By the early 20th century, the Baghdadi Jewish population had peaked at nearly 5,000. However, even with a solid diaspora in place, much of their legacy remains hidden in plain sight. You can still find pieces of the culture in places like Nahoum & Sons bakery, founded by a Baghdadi Jewish family, which sells Christmas cakes to lines of customers that include Hindus, Muslims, and Christians alike. "Only in Calcutta, do you have Muslims baking Christmas cakes where there are lines of Hindus lining up to buy them," Silliman says. However, this deep interfaith connection wasn't incidental. "We always had Muslim cooks in our home because we knew that they would never bring ham, pork, or bacon," Silliman says. "The caretakers of our synagogue today are still Muslim." By the 1960s, however, global migration and changing economic conditions saw many Jewish families leave Calcutta for London, New York, or Israel. Today, fewer than 30 remain. But efforts to preserve the community's legacy are ongoing, including Silliman's own extensive digital archive and Musleah's guided heritage tours through her organization, Explore Jewish India. "We are carrying on our traditions wherever we are," Musleah shares. "Whether we live in the places where we were born, we still have the responsibility to carry on where we came from." The community may have grown smaller, but its legacy remains monumental. Learn more about the Baghdadi Jews in Kolkata on this week's episode of Lost Cultures: Living Legacies to unravel it all. It's available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Player FM, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
BMC orders to stop ‘unauthorised' repair works at 170-year-old heritage synagogue in Mumbai's Byculla
Magen David Synagogue – the 170-year-old historical structure of the Jewish community in in South Mumbai – has come under controversy after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation issued a stop work notice claiming that the trustees of the synagogue were carrying out repair work without seeking due approval. BMC claimed that the trustees initiated an allegedly 'unauthorised' repair work of the structure. The BMC has told The Indian Express, that they have sought a report from the trustees as the civic officials have not granted any permission to carry out the work in the heritage structure. 'The trustees of the synagogue were carrying out repair works and we have issued them a stop work notice. We did not receive any application from them seeking NOC before going ahead with the repair works. For the time being, they have been asked to submit a report to us by providing the plans of repair works, and all the documents that are with them. After we go through the documents, the next course of action will be decided by us,' an official said. Located in the densely populated Byculla that houses a substantial population of the members from the Baghdadi Jew community, the synagogue symbolizes their diverse heritage and features distinctive architecture, including a blue facade, large frontal columns, and towering clock tower. The synagogue's interiors also feature bright blue paints, fluorescent lights, and a double-height sanctuary with a gallery. The Synagogue is a grade 2B heritage structure and the state government's law states that the managers of these properties will have to acquire a consent letter from the BMC before carrying out repair works in any of these structures. The repair works started last week and the issue was promptly highlighted by restaurateur Moshe Shek. 'I received messages from our community members from abroad who asked me to check the issue. They had received photos and videos of the building being demolished and had shared the same with me. Following this, I visited the Synagogue on May 18 and was shocked to see that the entire structure was largely pulled down,' Shek told The Indian Express. He said that at present, the columns and pillars of the property stands completely damaged with the main-staircases being entirely removed. 'I asked one of the workers who was present there about who is executing the work, but the worker ran away. Later the trustees came, they manhandled me and stopped me from taking any photographs and videos,' he added. Shek said that the next day he wrote a letter to Mumbai's municipal commissioner and visited the local civic ward office to lodge a complaint. He also filed a complaint at the police station about the trustees manhandling him, following which the authorities prompted into action with BMC issuing a 'stop-work' notice. 'I had grown up in this locality and all my ceremonies had happened in this synagogue. Therefore, it is absolutely appalling to see the structure being pulled out in such an unprofessional manner without informing the community members,' Shek said. Meanwhile, Solomon Sopher, chairperson of the Sir Jacob Sassoon Charity Trust that manages the Synagogue, refuted the allegations saying that they have carried out only the basic waterproofing works so as to make it ready for restoration work. 'The structure was not at all razed in the manner like how the complainant has described. The synagogue is 170 years old. Keeping in mind the old age and heritage value of the property a decision was made for restoring the project. We were awaiting the necessary permission from the authorities and decided to do some basic waterproofing work to prevent seepage during the rains since monsoon is just 10 days away. At the same time we were hopeful that the permissions would arrive, following which the planned work would be taken up accordingly,' Sopher told The Indian Express. Speaking to the Indian Express, Samajwadi Party MLA and former corporator from Byculla Rais Shaikh said, 'This event needs to be scrutinised by the highest of the civic administration level. Earlier also I had received complaints that the Synagogue was being leased out for social events like marriage due to which the sewer lines were getting choked due to improper usage. These things need to be looked into thoroughly by the administration,'
