It should not come as a surprise to anyone that the diverse and multicultural city of Bombay has a Jewish community that dates back hundreds of year, especially given that India’s relationship with Judaism is a 2000 year old one. Many familiar places in historic district of South Bombay have a deep connection to old Jewish families, such as the grand David Sassoon Library, maintained by the Sassoon trust that has renovated and runs many old buildings in the area. Yet, if we look beyond the library and recent history, we find that the vibrant yet small community has some beautiful and serene old synagogues and meetings halls, some right under our very noses.
One of them is the lovely pale blue Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, which was established in 1884 by the grandson of the famous David Sassoon, and is the second oldest Sephardic synagogue in the city. The old brick building, which is blue on the outside and inside, proudly announces that it has been built not only with Jewish traditions but also a mix of Indian and English colonial influences. Standing tall in the middle of the artsy Kala Ghoda, the inside is quiet and peaceful and we are the only visitors in the middle of a working day. The guard, who has been with the synagogue for several years, patiently plays with the lights inside, allowing us to take a selection of photographs to best capture the devotion and serenity that lies over the numerous lights, old wooden benches and worn prayer books. The literature available also told us that we were in the second oldest synagogue in the city, the first being the ‘Gate of Mercy’ and that the largest one in the city was in Byculla.
Done with wandering around the Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue and peering at it from every angle, we hotfooted it over to the one in Byculla. Larger than the previous one, and built in a Victorian style, the Magen David Synagogue in Byculla lies off one of the city’s busiest roads. We learnt that it is not only the largest one in Bombay, but also the largest one in Asia. The interiors were very similar to previous one we visited, though it looked and felt a lot more deserted.
The Jewish community in the city is dwindling and are finding it difficult to maintain the eight synagogues that were once full. Many of these places of worship and gathering are in places we pass by, and we recommend that the next time you do, pop in for a visit and experience some of the diversity that keeps this city going.
