The Jewish Route of Bombay/Mumbai -
Eminent Jewish sites in Mumbai, Pune and Konkan
Researched & Written by: Prof. Shaul Sapir, Hebrew University
Jerusalem
Magen David (Shield of David)
Synagogue
The “Magen David” Synagogue, was erected
through the initiative of David Sassoon who settled in Bombay in 1832. On
Sunday, 6th December 1857, David Sassoon
laid the cornerstone of the Synagogue in Byculla which was completed in
1861, being the first Baghdadi Synagogue in Bombay. In
1910, the building was expanded to its present dimension by David's son, Jacob
Sassoon. The exterior of the building was designed in a symmetrical eclected
manner, with a strong Renaissance influence, inspired by the Classic Greek
style at its façade. Towering above the architrave stands the four storey Clock
Tower.
The interior of the “Magen David” Synagogue, incorporating the main prayer hall and the
women’s gallery, follow a southeast-northwest axis towards the direction of
Jerusalem. Along this axis and at the centre hall, stands the Tevah (known as
the Bima), and at its north-western end is the Hechal (the Holy Ark), two
dominant elements in a Synagogue. As customary in Sephardic Synagogues,
the men's benches face the Tevah on
three sides. In a similar manner, the women’s section located on the
second floor is also comprised of three galleries supported upon high columns,
facing the hall's central space as well. In recent years the Synagogue’s
grounds are rented out for functions such as wedding ceremonies and other happy
events.
The Synagogue has two Jewish schools associated
with it, sponsored by the Jacob Sassoon Trust. Originally, the schools
exclusively catered Jewish children. Over time, with the migration of Baghdadi
Jewish community to other countries, the schools have been opened to all
communities located in the Byculla area.
Knesset Eliyahoo
(Assembly of Eliyahoo) Synagogue, Fort
In 1884, the Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue was
constructed on a premium piece of land in the hub of Bombay’s Fort, by a Jewish
businessman and philanthropist, Sir Jacob Sassoon, grandson of David Sassoon
(founder of the Sassoon dynasty), to commemorate his father, Eliyahoo Sassoon.
The commemorative plaque installed at the entrance of the Synagogue’s hall
mentions, “Keneseth Eliyahoo, This is the gate of the Lord into which the
righteous shall enter. And, this stone is set as a monument to bear a sign that
this house of prayer was erected by Jacob Elias David Sassoon And His Brothers
in memory of their late father Elias…”
The Synagogue building was planned and designed
by architect David E. Gostling, in an eclectic manner of styles, with a strong
influence of the Renaissance Style. The interior is divided into three floors.
At the bottom floor is an Assembly Hall and the Mikve (ritual bath); the Men's
Section on the middle floor houses the Hechal (Holy Ark, where the Torah
Scrolls are kept) signifying the direction of prayer towards Jerusalem and the
Tevah or Bima (where the Torah is read), located at the center of the hall; The
top floor is the Women's Gallery. Stunning stained-glass windows, decorate the
windows above the Hechal.
The Synagogue underwent extensive renovations
in 2018 and was reopened to the public one-year later, on Februar 7th,
2009.
David Sassoon Library and Reading
Room
The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room was
initially established as the Mechanics’ Institute in 1847, in order to train
professional workers for the Mint and Government Dockyard. The idea for a
library and a technical institute, located at the center of Fort area was
conceived in 1863 by David Sassoon, the famous Baghdadi Jewish merchant, known
as the Rothschild of the East. Architects David E. Gostling, John Campbell and
Colonel John Augustus Fuller, designed the new building in the Venetian Gothic
style.
Governor Sir Bartle Frere laid the corner stone
in 1867 and the inauguration ceremony took place in 1870, by Governor Sir
Seymour Fitzgerald. Above the entrance, a bas-relief portrait of David Sassoon
is carved in marble, designed and sculpted by John Lockwood Kipling, father of
the famous poet and author, Rudyard. Placed at the rear side of the portico is
a large marble statue of Sassoon, sculpted by the well-known British sculptor
Thomas Woolner. Hovering over the top of the building is a decorative Clock
Tower, donated by his son, Albert Sassoon, in 1873. The
building today is a landmark and one of the iconic gems in the city of Mumbai.
Chabad House, Nariman House, Colaba
The building, known as
Nariman House, was home to a Chabad House, a Jewish Orthodox outreach centre run by the late Rabbi
Gavriel Noach- Gabbi
(1979-2008) and Rivkah - Rivky (1980-2008)
Holtzberg, who had moved to India in
2003 and owned the building since around 2006.
A Chabad House, is a Jewish outreach centre was established to
facilitate traveling Jewish businessmen and
tourists, offering classes, lectures, and workshops on Jewish topics;
religious services; Shabbat meals; and special events.
Chabad House was
attacked on 26 November 2008 and six of its occupants, including Rabbi Gavriel
and his wife, who was six months pregnant, were killed. Their two-year-old son Moshe, survived the attack after being rescued by
his Indian nanny, Sandra Samuel.
In 2018 the Nariman House was renamed Nariman
Light House. After a long period of renovation, the
Chabad House reopened its doors in 2014, resuming all its
previous functions and preserving a special section of the building to operate
as a memorial site and a museum, exhibiting the horrors of the sad and dramatic
event.
Sassoon Dock,
In 1872, Sir Albert Sassoon, the Jewish industrialist and
philanthropist, the son of David Sassoon, began establishing a Wet Dock and Bunder (wharfs) in lower
Colaba, to enable large cargo ships to
discharge and to load the goods in a single step directly alongside the quay.
The ceremony for laying the cornerstone, took place on the 10th of
June, 1872, and the inauguration ceremony took place on Tuesday, the 8th
June, 1875. 1,500 labourers were employed each day for three years for the
completion of this immense
The “Sassoon Dock” today, is a picturesque
and lively bustling dock, used mainly for fishing boats, crowded with fishermen
unloading their catch and repairing their nets.
Clock Tower Gate, Colaba
At the entrance from
the main street, the Colaba Causeway, to the Sassoon
Dock, a wide gate
and a clock tower were
installed, at the
top of which a large
clock was
installed.
The watch was designed and manufactured by Sir John Bennett and provided a
noteworthy element in other buildings owned by the Sassoon family in Bombay and
Pune.
Sha'ar
Harahamim (Gate of Mercy) Synagogue, Israel Mohalla, Mandvi
The erecting of “Sha'ar Harahamim” Synagogue in Bombay, as
well as in Western India, took place in
the Mandvi neighboured, where the Bene Israel settled during the 18th-19th
centuries, as a small but thriving Jewish community.
The Synagogue was built at Samuel
Street in 1796, by Samaji Hassaji Divekar, also known as Samuel Ezekiel, an
officer in the armed forces of the “East India Company”. Due to the growth of
its members, a larger structure was built in 1860, on top
of the ruins of the old edifice. The building was commenced in January 1859,
and completed on the 24th of March 1860.
A few decades later, on the 13th
of May 1896, the community celebrated, with great grace and elegance the
centennial Jubilee commemorating the establishment of the Synagogue. On that
occasion the name of the Synagogue was changed to “Sha’ar Harahamim”.
Despite a fall in numbers, the Synagogue still maintains active
services and serves a congregation of about a hundred members daily. The
synagogue is also featured on heritage and religious tours of the city.
Sha'are Ratzon) The Gates of
Desire) Synagogue, Israel Mohalla, Mandvi
“Sha'are Ratzon” Synagogue, was constructed in
1843 and is the second oldest Synagogue in Mumbai. It belongs to the Bene
Israel community, and was built by a group formerly affiliated with the “Sha'ar
Harahamin” Synagogue, who has become dissatisfied with its management. To
differentiate it, it was called the “New Synagogue,” while the “Sha'ar
Harahamim” Synagogue became the “Old Synagogue.”
The entrepreneurs behind the new project were
Samuel Jacob Divekar and Haeem Isaji (Isaac) Garsulkar. The funds towards the building were collected in
1839, the land was bought on the 22nd of December 1840, the
foundation stone was laid on the 2nd of August 1841 and the
inauguration took place on the 4th of June 1843. The
building is surrounded by a high wall with a main gate which is surmounted by a
pediment with an inscription and a pair of wooden doors opening into the
Synagogue compound. The ladies’ galleries,
as well as in the Synagogues in Thana/Thane and some in other
Synagogues in Konkan (Alibag, Panvell), cosists of a mezzanine floor in the
space above the entrance to which access is gained by a detached stairway from
the exterior.
Tiphereth Israel (Pride of
Israel) Synagogue, Jacob Circle
“Tiphereth Israel” Synagogue, was erected at
Jacob Circle, due to the increase of the Bene Israel population in this area
during the 1870s and the 1880s. It was initiated in 1886 by Benjamin Samson
Ashtamkar, among others, in rented premises and was known as the “Jacob Circle
Prayer Hall”. In 1896, the Synagogue was renamed as “Tephereth Israel”
Synagogue.
Further steps were
taken in 1922, to locate a permanent residence for the Synagogue. Jacob Isaac
Aptekar and Aaron Benjamin Kandlekar, raised funds for purchasing the premises
known as “Rosh del Villa”, the site of the present Synagogue, which was
consecrated on March 23, 1924.
Over the years, the Synagogue has undergone
several renovations with the last major one coming as late as 2000.
Magen Hassidim (Shield
of the Pious) Synagogue, Agripada
Differences
of opinion among Tipheret Israel community members, as well as the need for a
larger hall for the growing congregation, led in 1904, to the establishment of
another nearby Bene Israel Prayer Hall, which was named in 1914, the “Jacob
Circle Jewish New Prayer Hall”. The new premise was popularly known as “Dandoolkar’s
Prayer Hall”, who had a major role in the founding of the
New Prayer Hall.
Roughly,
almost thirty years later, a plot of land was acquired for the purpose of
building a new edifice for the Synagogue named “Magen Hassidim”. Designs for
the building was prepared by architect Samson A. Elijah. A plaque commemorating
the laying the corner stone of the building says: "This stone was laid
by Mrs. Sarabai Solomon Aaron Bhonkar on 17th November1929."
The Synagogue was consecrated on the 29th of March 1931.
Other
structures within the Magen Hassidim Synagogue compound are: The Mikva (ritual
bath), the Rebecca Samuel Pavilion, the Solomon and Sarah Hall and Sassoon
Hall.
Sha’ar Hashamaim (Gate of Heaven) Synagogue, Thane
At the end of the 19th century, the Jewish
community of Thane grew rapidly and the need arose to build a Synagogue for its
members. The funds for the construction of the building were raised voluntarily.
The cornerstone was laid on March 26, 1878, and the Synagogue building was
inaugurated on the Hanukkah festival, December 29, 1879.
In 1926, the Mikveh was installed, thanks to the
donation of Isaac Ezekiel Haeem. In 2,001, the structure was renovated and
expanded, under the guidance and supervision of the community leaders.
Over the years, the Synagogue building underwent
a series of renovations, the most important of which was in the first decade of
the 21st century, by adding two floors above the old building. Work
began on January 1, 2008, and the inauguration of the new addition, which
changed the physical appearance of the building, took place on December 13,
2009.
In addition to the daily prayers, Holy Days and
community celebrations that take place in the Synagogue throughout the year,
there is also a Zionist association in Thane, a youth club and a welfare
organization.
The Bene Israel
Memorial in Navgaon/Navgao Village
This small coastal village can be
looked upon as the original historical location to the Bene Israel in Konkan
and as a landmark of Indian Jewish historiography as well. This is where
the long period old story of Indian Jewry comes alive. The Jewish community has been using
this cemetery for centuries.
Tradition says
that the bodies of the mortals from the ship wreck were buried at this site.
The ship is said to have crashed, leaving seven women and seven men to survive
who made their home at the shores of Navgaon village.
These Jews, strangers to India, brought with them Jewish traditions and
religious practices and kept a diligent oral tradition over the generations.
They were steadfast about circumcision, Shabbat, saying the Shema and eating
only kosher fish (ones with fins and scales). Interestingly, they worked
primarily in oil-making and they were known as “Shenwar Teli”
the “Saturday oil-pressers”, because of being their day of rest.
The monument is
designed by Bene Israel architect Joshua M. Benjamin
and was built during the years 1973-1985. The nearby ‘Jerusalem Gate’,
indicating names of the Bene Israel Synagogues was erected in 1997.
Prophet Elijah's Chariot’s Site,
Talvali (also known as Khandala)
Prophet Elijah’s Rock is reputed to
be the location of a visit from Elijah and is considered sacred by both Bene
Israel Jews and Hindus. Elijah the prophet is also
known as Eliyahoo Ha’Navi.
Carved in a large rock outside a
village on the Konkan Coast, southeast of Mumbai, are mystical markings that
are reputed to have been made by Elijah the Prophet. The rock plays a very
important role in the life of the Bene Israel. They and the local Hindu
population believe that the place is sacred, because it was from this spot that
Elijah ascended to heaven with his chariot leaving a groove in the rock and his
horse leaving two hoof marks on the stone.
Members
of the Bene Israel community make pilgrimages to this site on special occasions and hold the ceremony of
the Malida here. The
central figure in the ceremony is the prophet Elijah. Before various events:
before a wedding; in the seventh month of pregnancy and after giving birth;
entering a new home; after being rescued from a dangerous situation; being
cured of a serious illness; and more recently, also on Tu B'Shvat. The ceremony
on Tu B'Shvat has special meanings. According to tradition, the ancestors of
the community arrived in India by ship about 2,000 years ago on Tu B'Shvat. The
ship was wrecked off the coast of the Konkan, and seven women and seven men
were saved from the disaster. After their rescue, the prophet Elijah revealed
himself to them, who promised them that their descendants would return to the
Land of Israel.
During the ceremony, a prayer is addressed to
G-d and the prophet Elijah to seek success, livelihood, health, fertility and
more. In the Malida there are symbolic motifs: The Malida is prepared from
semolina or a faded (special crushed rice), as a remembrance of the sacrificial
offering offered in the Temple; It is piled like a mountain on a flat, round
tray, a reminder of Mount Sinai; Different types of fruits are placed on the
Malida and at least one fruit is a new fruit, on which the blessing of
"that we have lived and existed and reached this time" is blessed.
Magen Aboth (Defender or Shield of Ancestors) Synagogue, Alibag/Alibaug
“Magen Aboth” Synagogue in
Alibag, was built in 1840, by means of
voluntary contributions and upon the initiative of
Hacham Shelomo Salem Shurrabi, a Cochin Jew of Yemenite
descent, who succeeded in
involving retired personnel from the Indian army. They warmly supported the
proposal and sufficient funds were raised for the erection of the sacred
edifice. At the time,
there were about 150 Bene Israel residing in the town.
A few years later, once again, donations enabled the
construction of the present Synagogue in 1910, according to the design of
Samuel Solomon Mazgavkar. The inauguration ceremony was
held on 25th December, 1910 at this event, the Synagogue received its
present name, “Magen Aboth”. The new building was neat and
compact, decently furnished and was enclosed by a compound wall, to which
wrought iron gates were added in 1936. The front edifice of the Synagogue has
an Eclectic appearance in its architectural style, with a strong pseudo-Baroque
design, dominated by three arches on the ground floor. The inner hall
resembles other Bene Israel
Synagogues in the Konkan and some other in Mumbai.
The Konkan Synagogues not only
serve as places of worship for the Bene Israel but are also as a meeting point
for the members of the tiny community. Most events and functions such as
marriages, bar mitzvahs etc., take place in the sprawling gardens of the
compound.
Beth El (House of G-d)
Synagogue, Alibag/Alibaug
“Beth
El”
Synagogue in Alibag, was built by the initiative and contributions from the
local Bene Israel community in 1842. In the course of time, as the congregation
grew, the building was extended and rebuilt in 1877, from the accumulation of
the offerings made by the people of the Synagogue. The commemorative plaque
located above the entrance door to the Synagogue gives us the historic details.In 1912, a stone wall was massively built
around the Synagogue compound with a decorative gate affixed to it, leading
from the main street. The headstone of the arch is decorated with two rows of
the first ten letters in Hebrew, depicting the Ten Commandments.
The
Centenary celebrations were held on 28th May 1941, and the 150 Years
celebration was marked on 27th February 2011, following extensive renovation of
the building.
Opposite
the Synagogue, are dwellings which are part of the Synagogue property. A Star
of David decorates the wall on the second floor, facing the street. Originally,
the dwellings were constructed for the use for community members who were
involved in Synagogue matters. Today, the building is rented out and the income
is used for maintaining the Synagogue.
Beth El (House of G-d) Synagogue, Panvel
Beth El Synagogue, located north of the Raigad District, is one of the oldest
Bene Israel Synagogues in the District. The building is a modest structure
located on the main square of the town. Prior to the erection of the Synagogue,
congregation prayers were held in the house of Aaron Elijah Navgavkar. Later, David Sankar gave his house for the
same purpose.
On the arrival of Hacham Shellomo Salem Shurabi,
it was decided to erect an edifice for a Synagogue by raising subscriptions
from its members. The land and grounds were granted by Joseph David, and the
inauguration ceremony and dedication of the Synagogue was held on the 17th of May, 1849, on which day the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (Pentecost)was also celebrated. At the time, 250 Jewish families
were living in and around the area of Panvel.
A wall surrounds the Synagogue premises with bright blue metal
doors and a ‘Star of David’ at the centre, allowing entry to an enclosed hall. Adjacent to the gate and in front of the building’s porch is an exterior staircase that leads up to a pair of doors
providing access to the upper level. These doors open into a women’s gallery
along the east elevation of the Synagogue.
Ohel David (Tent
of David) Synagogue, Poona/Pune
David Sassoon, the Baghdadi Jewish
Industrialist and Philanthropist, built the “Ohel David Synagogue. The
construction of the building was started in 1863 and was completed in
1867.
The handsome red brick building, with a lofty
tower and spire, is located in the south-eastern corner of the suburban
municipal limits. It is high church-like structure in the English Gothic style,
built of red brick with trap stone arch work and mullions. The windows are
divided into small panes of stained glass. At the east end and rising above the
porch, a red brick tower carries the clocks and bells. The tower is surmounted
by an impressive tall spire. Due to its red colour the Synagogue is referred to
in Hindi and Marathi as Lal Deval meaning the Red Temple.
In
its heyday, this Synagogue used to see more Jewish visitors during the monsoon
and summer seasons as many Jewish residents from Bombay and nearby places who
would spend their summer and rainy months in Poona. Near the synagogue is the Mausoleum, where the
philanthropist David Sassoon is buried in an impressive and dignified
structure, which is considered one of the most impressive tombs that exist in
India.
David Sassoon's
Mausoleum, Poona/Pune
Born in 1792 into a prominent
Jewish family in Baghdad, David S. Sassoon became one of the foremost merchants
of British India and a great philanthropist who contributed substantially to
the cities of Bombay (Mumbai) and Pune.
David settled in India in the 1832,
which was ripe with opportunity for entrepreneurs. By the 1850s, David Sassoon
had acquired vast real estate holdings in Bombay and Poona.
Poona, was his summer home, where
he financed many important institutions such as the David S. Sassoon Hospital,
Infirmary, and nearby Leper Home. It was for the Jews of Poona that David
Sassoon built the Ohel David (Tent of David) Synagogue in 1863. That structure
became a Pune landmark with its tall steeple that long dominated the cityscape;
it came to be known locally as the Lal Deval (Red Temple).
David Sassoon passed away in his
country house in Poona in 1864. His resting place is located within the Ohel
David Synagogue compound.
Sukkat Shlomo (Solomon) Synagogue, Pune
The Synagogue of "Sukkat Shlomo" was
built on
the land
of a member
of the
Bnei Yisrael
community named Solomon (Shlomo)
Balaji Jhiradkar. The cornerstone
laying ceremony took place
on December
28, 1919, and the
inauguration ceremony on
May 21,
1921.
The synagogue building is
enclosed by a
wall, and an iron gate, leads into the premises. At the front
of the building and on both sides
of the main entrance
to the
Synagogue hall, there
are two
rooms; One is used
for an
office and on the other, a staircase
is installed
leading to the women’s gallery. The
interior of the
Synagogue is identical
to the
other Sephardic
Synagogues; The men's benches facing the Bimah
from its
three wings, and on
the second
floor, the women's gallery is installed. The
"Sukkat Shlomo" Synagogue is
one of
the oldest
Synagogues in Pune.