Kenneseth Eliyahu Synagogue--kalaghoda--Bombay--India (One of Bombay's Oldest)

http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/9781/india4az.jpg

Shaar Hashamaim Synagogue--Thane--India

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/7505/india24zq.jpg http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/9890/india36sl.jpg

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1475/india46jk.jpg

A nice thread and great pics Hindustani.
I have refered this thread to some of my friends at work and they were really amazed! Thanks on their behalf also!.

I guess, there is a Synagogue some where in Secunderabad (Prendergaust road?)
Hope you can get some pics from there and post here too.

http://i2.tinypic.com/ztzrqc.jpg

A Jew priest blowing the sacred ram's horn at Judah Hyam Synagogue. Photo: S. Arneja
URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/01/09/stories/2003010900190300.htm
To serve the needs of the tiny Jewish community staying in Delhi, Judah Hyam Synagogue on the Humayun Road, built nearly half a century ago, is the only place of worship. MADHUR TANKHA pays a visit to this little-known piece of the ci ty's rich heritage....

STANDING SILENTLY on Delhi's Humayun Road, the sole Jewish synagogue of the city easily slips one's notice. But, if one digs into its history, a need springs up to tread back nearly half a century.

"The Jewish community, which has been habituating in the Capital for long built this Judah Hyam Synagogue nearly half a century ago. Besides Middle-East traders, who had regular contacts with India and several Jewish merchants from Persia, Iraq and Afghanistan pouring into Delhi of olden times, a few German and Polish families, who were facing persecution and atrocities at the hands of Nazi dictator, Adolf Hitler, also settled down here," informs Ezekiel Issac Malekar, who conducts religious services at the shrine. With the years and years of turning of history pages, the community is today reduced to a mere 5,000 sprinkled across the country, with only 50 people residing in Delhi at present.

"Today, we are a small community here. About 30 to 40 worshippers visit the synagogue during the Sabbath," adds Malekar. The place of worship also sees sometimes visitors from the Israeli embassy, the most noted foreign dignitary who ever visited it included the late Israeli President, Shimon Peres in 1993.

Letting out information about the synagogue's past, Malekar says, the late Jacob Solomon, the stationmaster of Delhi railway station, acquired a plot of land in 1932 from the Government to build a burial ground for the Jews, next to the Christian cemetery. Erza Kolet was one of the founder members. G.M. Benjamin, the architect who constructed the Parliament annexe and the Delhi High Court, was the chief architect of the synagogue, juxtaposed to the Jewish cemetery.

Today, the small Jewish community finds it difficult to afford a paid Hazan and so, Malekar has volunteered to conduct the religious services. On the entrance of the synagogue, it is inscribed, "Fear of God is beginning of knowledge." When one expresses amazement over this, Malekar says, "This actually means reverence of God is the beginning of wisdom." He conducts all the prayers, including ceremonies like bar-mitzvah - son of Commandment - for boys when they attain the age of 13 and for girls, when the become 12.

On the significance of these ceremonies, Malekar says, "This means that children are ethically and morally adult". Tsisith, a shawl is given to the children in which there are 613 precepts and each silken thread connotes one commandment. Jewish prayers bear some resemblance to Hindu temple prayers in the sense that here too; the head priest blows ram's horn, which is analogous to conch. During New Year or Day of Atonement ram's horn is blown 100 times as worshippers offer benediction, asking God for forgiveness.

But the similarities end here. Inside the hallowed precincts there are no frankincense, idols or pictures. Torah, the holy books of Jews, has been strategically placed towards east, so that it faces Jerusalem. Torah - which contains the first five books of Old Testament - has been kept on the wooden compartment called Hekhal. There is diya or Ner-E-Tamid - the eternal light - which contains coconut oil lamp that flickers throughout the day. For Saturday morning prayers, there have to be a minimum 10 people. During Sabbath, which starts from Friday, when the sun sets to Saturday, the Jews try to resist the temptation of lighting a cigarette or even a necessity like driving a vehicle. They don't pluck a flower.

"This is done so that rest is given to Mother Earth," adds Malekar. Before entering and leaving the synagogue, worshippers, who cover their heads with Kippa, a skull cap, kiss the Mezuzah. Inside this plastic casket there is a scroll on which verses from Deuteronomy have been inscribed. There is Thanksgiving on Friday evening. During sanctification, grape juice is served to the members. Members bring Siddur, the Delhi prayer book.

Since Judaism believes in oneness of the Almighty, there is an interfaith study centre within the synagogue precincts, where religions of various dominations are studied. It contains a collection of about 5,000 books. Meanwhile, outside the synagogue life goes on as usual with Delhiites scurrying across to meet their worldly targets.

http://i2.tinypic.com/ztzytk.jpg

Location : Mattancherry, Kerala
Attractions : 1568 A.D.
Famous As : Oldest Synagogue In The Common Wealth Countries

The Jewish synagogue in Kochi was built in 1568 AD. Scrolls of Old Testament and a number of copper plates inscribed in the Hebrew script are preserved in this Synagogue. This synagogue stands out as a testimony of communal harmony in the state for centuries.

The Jewish Synagogue, the oldest Synagogue in the common wealth countries was built in 1568 AD. Located at Mattancherry, the Synanogue still has the scrolls of the Old Testament and the copper plates, which recorded the grants of privilege, bequeathed by the Kochi rulers.

Not one of the nearly two hundred year old tiles resembles another. There are several finely wrought gold and silver crowns gifted to the synanogue by the various patrons.

The Synagogue is open from 10 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 5 pm on all days except Saturdays and Jewish holidays

Thanks to Google images and dd1605

Mumbai

http://www.haruth.com/IndiaBombaySyn2.jpg

Cochin

http://www.himalayantours.com/images/jewish.syng.cochin.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/55/137033671_cde40437eb.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/48/137034038_07eff659cf.jpg?v=0

Kolkata

http://elizabethinindia.typepad.com/weblog/synagogue_in_calcutta2_17_mar.jpg

Delhi
http://static.flickr.com/37/112858464_025544c452.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/53/112863209_b950cb67ba.jpg?v=0

cheers

Hey nice pics there man.....gud to see a side of the Indian Jewish communities....

Nice Photos Guys :)

Thanks for sharing.

"The Ohel-David Synagogue was built by David Sassoon in 1863 in Poona, where he had his resort home. The synagogue is a well-known landmark in Poona, of impressive architecture in spacious grounds in a central location in Poona cantonment. David Sassoon's Poona home, where he died in 1864 much mourned by Jews and Indians alike, was across the street from the synagogue. His sons buried him in the synagogue grounds in a fine mausoleum. The synagogue and mausoleum were visited by the President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussein, at a special Memorial Service on 10 December 1968, on the occasion of the Centenary celebration of the Sassoon General Hospitals in Poona established by the Sassoons."

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8526/59217365a252a093e8oyd3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Mumbai
Copyright Nick Dowling
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/4885/33300886712299420abogb2.jpg

Kolkata
Copyright Kanyad Sanyal
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/4184/330635082d4f5d8e33cowh9.jpg

Kochi
Copyright Dobry Vojak
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/5139/306391478ee24e95d5foyd1.jpg

Magen David Synagogue, Byculla, Mumbai
copyright Humayunn N A Peerzaada
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2520/468887087cd502a757dbqi8.jpg


___________
outside Cochin's Synagogue
copyrightt jbenson2
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/3342/505121412fab0ceda7eobw7.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6426/505121564636676e27fott8.jpg

the original (black-middle eastern) jews who went to india in the 1st century AD suffered greatly when the second wave (white-european)landed in the 1400s, the two communaties living almost completetly seperatly.
Inerestingly enough my family - heres the hint to my carefully gaurded ethnicity...- has a surname from a root name that is almost identical to the name of the main 'isrealite'family that ariived in cochin in the 1400's & there from the same place in spain & have the same 'title'.
The historians in my family seem to be more willing to trace us back to Turkey, Crete & to start with Bagdhad.
i think only Cochin & bombay have/had communities that pre dated colonialism, the rest came over with the brits.
being completely non religious my self i probably didnt feel as much as i out when i visited the jewish temples in kerala & bombay. such is the life.
Oi Vay

I think Gujarat has some communities as well, originally Iranian Jews, who fled with the Zoroastrians

I think Gujarat has some communities as well, originally Iranian Jews, who fled with the Zoroastrians
thats interesting though as i understood it the Iranian jews were not persecuted at all till the 'revolution'.
(Infact jews & muslims have historicaly got on better than jews & christians. How times change...)
D'you know any more 'bout the ones in gujurat?

Sorry, don't have more info.. was something one of my Jewish friends told me. His family can be traced back to India as well, though his ancestry is mainly African

Sorry, don't have more info.. was something one of my Jewish friends told me. His family can be traced back to India as well, though his ancestry is mainly African
Wot u mean hes gujarati jewish settled in Uganda?
Or hes Negro /falasha jew that went via gujarat?
Wild

Just some trivia-

There are some lost jewish tribes in South India as well as North-East India. I remember around an year ago some 200 members of the North-eastern tribe moved to Isreal.

^yup, i think theyre called the Bani Menashe

A nice thread and great pics Hindustani.
I have refered this thread to some of my friends at work and they were really amazed! Thanks on their behalf also!.

I guess, there is a Synagogue some where in Secunderabad (Prendergaust road?)
Hope you can get some pics from there and post here too.

the secunderabad one you mentioned. looked everywhere. cant find it. meanwhile enjoy this.

Magen Abraham Synagogue - Ahmedabad - Gujarat

http://img19.picoodle.com/img/img19/3/12/16/f_magenabraham_ef61c36.jpg


Megan David Synagogue - Bombay - Maharashtra

http://img19.picoodle.com/img/img19/3/12/16/f_mumbaim_f2170da.jpg

Jews=Jains?

What are parsis then?

Judaism isn't an Indian religion, is it?

So Jains are Indian Jews?

Jews=Jains?

What are parsis then?

Judaism isn't an Indian religion, is it?

So Jains are Indian Jews?

Jews and jains are not the same. Judaism is a religion originated in Israel.

jainism from Hinduism.Hence it is an Indian religion.

Parsis have their ancestors in Iran. Their religion is Zoroastrian.
Tatas, Godrej, Wadia etc are some parsi communities. See, they are truly Indians, have contributed to India in various fields.
It is one of the 4 revealed religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Zorastrian).

I think, with my limited knowledge, i've cleared your doubts. If there's some error, it may be due to my ignorance.

Thanks for the photos, Hindustani.

As I've said before, thank God for multi-religious India. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a nation that stands for a single religion. That's just awfuly medieval and disgusting.

Post some more pictures..

I wanna go to India one day...very nice country..has alot of Jewish things to see, as well as other magnificent treasures :)

keep up the good work....

Thanks for the photos, Hindustani.

As I've said before, thank God for multi-religious India. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a nation that stands for a single religion. That's just awfuly medieval and disgusting.

Single religion causes more damage to country if its close to 100%. Various sects & beliefs will end up causing more bloodshed within the religion for domination. sorta like darwinian philosophy of survival of the fittest.

Multi-religious country forces compromises & understanding to live together under one roof. Thus, negating inter-religious conflicts like shia-sunni, catholics-prostastants, caste system conflicts or even politheistic conflicts.

Modern day post independence India has benefitted hugely with multi-religious culture. Only drawback has been the religious rioting fueled purely for political gains. Once the normalcy is established, it has strenghtened its democracy & overall economy as well.

Magen David Synagogue, Byculla, Mumbai
copyright Humayunn N A Peerzaada
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2520/468887087cd502a757dbqi8.jpg

Here's an interesting photo of it from 1861 -

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2954/encjudbombaybd4kol1194m.jpg

The interior of it -

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6493/encjudbombaybd4kol1193m.jpg

Link (http://www.geschichteinchronologie.ch/as/indien/EncJud_juden-in-Bombay-ENGL.html)

Kenneseth Eliyahu Synagogue--kalaghoda--Bombay--India (One of Bombay's Oldest)

http://img288.imageshack.us/img288/9781/india4az.jpg

Some old pics of it from 1888 -

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5407/encjudbombaybd4kol1194k.jpg

The interior -

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6600/encjudbombaybd4kol1193kj.jpg

Check the link bellow for more info on Judaism in India:
Link (http://www.geschichteinchronologie.ch/as/indien/EncJud_juden-in-Bombay-ENGL.html)

I did not know he had Jewish presence in India, interesting ...

Interesting, and most of all, beautiful. It seems like every religion of the world is present in India!!!

I did not know he had Jewish presence in India, interesting ...

The Cochin Jews, one of the five 'native Jewish communities in India, arrived 2,500 years ago and settled down in Cochin, Kerala as traders.


The oldest of the Indian Jewish communities is in Cochin. Traders from Judea arrived in the city of Cochin, in what is now Kerala, in 562 BC. Most Jews, however, came as exiles from Israel in the year 70 C.E. after the destruction of the Second Temple[2] The distinct Jewish community was called Anjuvannam. The still-functioning synagogue in Mattancherry belongs to the Paradesi Jews, the descendants of Sephardim that were expelled from Spain and Holland in 1492

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_India

Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/1517/4361590184c3002a47c1b.jpg

Interior
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2699/4360850193_69a9a148d1_b.jpg
Copyright sbroide

Great picture very colourful. thanks for the postings.

I once had a girlfriend who was Indian-Jewish. Didnt last long...but she fed me well with Indian-Jewish fusion cuisine :) YUMMMMMMMMMMMY!

any Jewish-Indian girls interested in the hebrew-hammer? ;)

Really dissapointing that we only have 33 Synagogues in India, and most of them are in a terrible condition.

Here's an example:

Gate of Mercy Synagogue, Mumbai

http://i50.tinypic.com/of4xg7.jpg
(C)Nichalp

Kenneseth Eliyahu Synagogue

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6167370447_a50a0900c3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/danfimm/6167370447/)
IMG_2428 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/danfimm/6167370447/) by Dan Fimm (http://www.flickr.com/people/danfimm/), on Flickr

^^ Looks old but nice!

Jews live in India?

Jews live in India?

LOL! Judaism in India can be traced back to more than 2000 years ago.

The Cochin Jews arrived in India 2,500 years ago and settled down in Kerala as traders. They were followed by the Bene Israel Jews who settled in Maharashtra some 2100 years back.

The Baghdadi Jews arrived in Mumbai from Iran, Iraq and other Arab countries in the mid 18th century to escape religious persecution.

Judaism in India is one of the most successful story of religious tolerance ever documented. This was in great part due to the fact that Hinduism and Judaism do not actively seek converts and the good relations established between the Jews and Hindu monarchs at that time.
In 379 CE, The Hindu king Sira Primal who was also known as Iru Brahman, issued what was engraved on a tablet of brass, his permission to Jews to live freely, build synagogue, own property without conditions attached.

The only hints of anti-antisemitism reported were during the Portuguese rule beginning in the 16th Century.

The Baghdadi Jews established prosperous communities in many Indian cities and were successful in fields such as trade and later on in the Army.

In the 20th Century most Jews left for Israel but many chose to settle permanently in India.

So as a legacy for the good-founded history of Judaism in India, the synagogues and other heritage structures must be preserved. :)

^^ Looks old but nice!

Well it is 130 years old :)

And it's due for another facelift.

^^
That Kenneseth Eliahu Synagogue has been surrounded by armed guards since the 2008 terror attacks. They glared at me menacingly when I tried to take pictures, haha.

Jews live in India?
:crazy: :cripes:

And why didn't all those Islamic dynasties throw em out? Just asking.

Well there isn't that many Jews in India. And what ever are left are running back to Israel. Like the ones in Mizoram -

fS0RQG5FMuE

And why didn't all those Islamic dynasties throw em out? Just asking.

Bizarre way of asking the question...as if you really wanted them to be thrown out :shifty:

Anyway, the Islamic rulers did try. So many Jews left for other locations in India. Those who could not were forcefully converted to Islam.

In 1524, the Muslims, backed by the ruler of Calicut (today called Kozhikode), attacked these wealthy Jews of Cranganore (Kodungallur) on the pretext that they had an advantage with the pepper trade. The Jews fled to Cochin and went under the protection of Perumpadapu Swaroopam. The Hindu Raja of Cochin, Bhaskara Ravi Varman II (979— 1021) gave them asylum. Moreover, he exempted Jews from taxation but bestowed on them all privileges enjoyed by the tax-payers.

No, I was just wondering why there aren't Jewish guys in my class. I would have patronized their faith and acted all secular even though I'm not.

Ah, just kidding. I'm secular . . . ish . . . Nah, I'm secular. I don't believe in Hindu supremacy. Or even mainstream Hinduism. GOD, I CAN'T SHUT UP ABOUT MYSELF!

Well they are not spread all over the country. The small number of Jews left in India are concentrated mostly in Mumbai, Kochi and Kolkata. There are some also in the North East but most are leaving for Israel.

I thought Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians lived in harmony in the great and mighty state of India?

What do Muslims in India think about upgraded relations with India since 1992? And Military sales/communications/training with Israel? :?

Can we have such discussions in the Chaibar? This is the wrong thread.

I thought Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians lived in harmony in the great and mighty state of India?

What do Muslims in India think about upgraded relations with India since 1992? And Military sales/communications/training with Israel? :?

Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Parsis and Baha'is have lived in harmony with little to no recorded strains in relationships or clashes.

But as far as Christians and Muslims are concerned...the picture is entirely different. And this since the arrival and establishment of these two faiths in India. Much is being done to create harmony but the situation is pretty much unstable and things tend to get dirty at times.

Bilateral relations with Israel is mostly based on a melting pot of politics and religions rather than on religions solely. Leftist parties like the Indian National Congress are either against Israel or to a lesser extent have mixed views depending on the situation. This is partly motivated by vote-bank political tactics based on the Palestine issue.
But on the other side of the spectrum, Hindu Nationalist Parties have traditionally supported the Jewish cause and Israel since its creation.

Ariel Sharon's visit to India in 2003 was a major turning point for bilateral relations between Israel and India and since then have flourished. In fact he was the first Israeli PM to visit India.

"The Ohel-David Synagogue was built by David Sassoon in 1863 in Poona, where he had his resort home. The synagogue is a well-known landmark in Poona, of impressive architecture in spacious grounds in a central location in Poona cantonment. David Sassoon's Poona home, where he died in 1864 much mourned by Jews and Indians alike, was across the street from the synagogue. His sons buried him in the synagogue grounds in a fine mausoleum. The synagogue and mausoleum were visited by the President of India, Dr. Zakir Hussein, at a special Memorial Service on 10 December 1968, on the occasion of the Centenary celebration of the Sassoon General Hospitals in Poona established by the Sassoons."

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8526/59217365a252a093e8oyd3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

More of Ohel-David Synagogue , Pune

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/5890662724_2bdd07daba_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sojans/5890662724/)
synagogue in pune (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sojans/5890662724/) by Sojan's (http://www.flickr.com/people/sojans/), on Flickr

http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1092/893399666_fbdb273d6a_z.jpg?zz=1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/i-ris/893399666/)
Cityscapes - Pune (http://www.flickr.com/photos/i-ris/893399666/) by Kunal-More (http://www.flickr.com/people/i-ris/), on Flickr

Very interesting building!

Jews and jains are not the same. Judaism is a religion originated in Israel.

jainism from Hinduism.Hence it is an Indian religion.

Parsis have their ancestors in Iran. Their religion is Zoroastrian.
Tatas, Godrej, Wadia etc are some parsi communities. See, they are truly Indians, have contributed to India in various fields.
It is one of the 4 revealed religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Zorastrian).

I think, with my limited knowledge, i've cleared your doubts. If there's some error, it may be due to my ignorance.

This KolkataUSA is obviously a troll, asking such an asinine question. Idiot. Don't bother answering him. Or maybe he's so stupid he can't Google. #FFS

Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Parsis and Baha'is have lived in harmony with little to no recorded strains in relationships or clashes.

But as far as Christians and Muslims are concerned...the picture is entirely different. And this since the arrival and establishment of these two faiths in India. Much is being done to create harmony but the situation is pretty much unstable and things tend to get dirty at times.

Bilateral relations with Israel is mostly based on a melting pot of politics and religions rather than on religions solely. Leftist parties like the Indian National Congress are either against Israel or to a lesser extent have mixed views depending on the situation. This is partly motivated by vote-bank political tactics based on the Palestine issue.
But on the other side of the spectrum, Hindu Nationalist Parties have traditionally supported the Jewish cause and Israel since its creation.

Ariel Sharon's visit to India in 2003 was a major turning point for bilateral relations between Israel and India and since then have flourished. In fact he was the first Israeli PM to visit India.

good to know

More of Ohel-David Synagogue , Pune



The inside:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8375/8497284960_b9954a83e1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/binoinc/8497284960/)
20130203_Pune (27) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/binoinc/8497284960/) by binoinc (http://www.flickr.com/people/binoinc/), on Flickr

Its beautfiul!

A little Europe but a taste of india!