Restored Mumbai synagogue celebrates 150 years of peace

Children sang songs about hope and fearlessness in Hebrew and Hindi, and speakers related how the community has never faced discrimination in this country as the city’s Jews gathered at the Magen David Synagogue in Byculla on Tuesday to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

President Pratibha Patil, who was scheduled to lead the celebrations, did not turn up. But Jews from all over the city, including a busload from Thane which is now home to the largest Jewish community in India, visited the synagogue to pay their respects. They were joined by staff members from the Israel, French and Polish embassies.

Solomon Sopher, chairman and managing trustee of the Sir Jacob Sassoon Charity and Allied Trusts, said that David Sassoon, the great philanthropist, built the Magen David (which means the Star of David) at a time when hundreds of Baghdadi Jews were migrating to India to escape religious persecution. “This is probably the largest synagogue in India and, if you exclude those in Israel, probably the largest in Asia,” said Sopher.

By 1910, the community around Byculla had grown so much that there was not enough room for devotees and the synagogue was expanded with the help of Jacob, David Sassoon’s grandson.

These days, the synagogue barely musters enough worshippers to complete the minyan or the quorum of 10 men which is required for a religious service. “It is difficult, but we manage,” said Sopher.

The synagogue was restored last year and Rs70 lakh were spent to waterproof the building and paint it. After the repairs, which took one-and-half years, the synagogue donned its new colour — blue — discarding the earlier shade of yellow.

The celebrations were scheduled on November 6, but were postponed to December 20 after Patil told a delegation of the Jewish community that she was not sure whether she will be able to come in November. On Monday, several policemen were put on duty at the synagogue, but a few hours before the function, the organisers were told that the President may not come for the event.

The Department of Posts released the First Day Cover (FDC, issued with every commemorative stamp) of the synagogue on the occasion.