In the “land of pagodas,” monks clad in vibrant saffron coloured robes are a common sight and devout Buddhists account for the majority of the population.
Weary travellers are welcomed into the warm and inviting Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue.
Weary travellers are welcomed into the warm and inviting Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue.
In
the “land of pagodas,” monks clad in vibrant saffron coloured robes are
a common sight and devout Buddhists account for the majority of the
population.
Burma is home to tens of thousands of pagodas, from the simplest structures, to the extremely elaborate, and they are often the focal point of a city or town.
It therefore came as a great surprise, when on a recent trip weeklong trip to the country I found out that the city of Rangoon was also home to a lone synagogue, which dates back well over 100 years.
I discovered the Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue while doing research online one evening, and it was quickly added to my list of sites to visit in the city. My friend and I had chosen to dedicate our entire week to Rangoon, and had we not done so, we would have missed this beautiful piece of Jewish history entirely.
The synagogue was built in 1893 and is housed on a busy street in downtown Rangoon. When we first set off in search of the building, we almost walked right by it. The area outside the entrance teems with life – people mill about, ramshackle tea stalls can be found everywhere, and there are numerous small shops on the surrounding streets.
Despite the harsh living conditions in this country ruled by a repressive military junta, the Burmese are among the friendliest people that I have met anywhere in the world. As we asked for directions along the way, people happily pointed us on the right track. Walking down the streets of Rangoon, we were met with a constant chorus of “hello, how are you?” or “welcome to our country!”.
Our first attempt to visit this unique Jewish landmark did not go as planned. We arrived only to find out that the synagogue was closed for the day. Disappointed, we returned to our guest house, determined to go back and visit during the little time we had left.
Luckily, when we returned a few days later, the doors were open and we were able to explore this historical building. The synagogue trustee is a man by the name of Moses Samuels. Moses also runs Myanmar Shalom Travels and Tours, and he is solely responsible for keeping the Jewish spirit alive in Rangoon. This was a role passed down from his father, who had also acted as trustee for many years.
Samuels’ son, Sammy, the youngest member of the Burmese Jewish community, is a graduate of Yeshiva University in New York. Sammy has helped to educate the outside world on Burma’s Jewish history.
At the time of our visit, Samuels was not at the synagogue, but the building’s caretaker proudly showed us around. Despite the fact that this man spoke no English, you could feel his strong sense of pride in both the Jewish community and the Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue.
If we had not known what we were looking for when we set off in search of the synagogue, it would have been easy to miss it entirely, as the building is set back from the street. As you step through the gates and into the tiny hidden courtyard, the world “shalom,” written in blue tiles above, invites one to enter the brightly lit building.
Although the synagogue is small in size, light floods in from all angles, making the space feel much larger than it actually is. The walls are a clean white with blue trim, the ceilings are high, and two large balconies overlook the bimah. There was a beautiful Torah, which the caretaker happily showed us, but I was unable to find out the details surrounding its origins during my visit.
The atmosphere inside is warm and inviting, encouraging visitors to stay for a while and enjoy the tranquillity, a welcome change from the hectic streets outside.
There is nothing elaborate here. It is eclectic, yet simple, and I immediately felt welcomed. The hustle and bustle of the outside world is quickly forgotten once you enter this sanctuary. As a traveller briefly stopping by, I was proud to have been able to visit this synagogue that has been so diligently and lovingly maintained over the years.
The largest city in Burma, Rangoon is home to four million people. Out of these millions, approximately eight families are Jewish.
There was once a thriving Jewish community here. Before World War II, there were roughly 2,500 Jews in Burma, many of whom were of Iraqi and Indian descent. Sadly, of these 2,500 people, only a few families remain today.
In a country where people have lived under political turmoil for many years, these families have made the conscious decision to stay and keep the Jewish religion alive in this struggling nation. For the Jewish community in Burma, the synagogue serves as a reminder of the past and a symbol of hope for the future.
