A JOURNEY THROUGH FAITH AND HERITAGE: VISITING THE KENESETH ELIYAHOO SYNAGOGUE
A special and unique immersive experience of heritage, culture, culinary delights, and history! It was beautifully curated with great thought and detail.
On Tuesday, December 17th, 2024, we experienced beauty, an understanding of Jewish Indian culture, architectural excellence, and cuisine at one of the oldest gems in Bombay then, and Mumbai now, on the occasion of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights.
We had the wonderful privilege of the Consul General of Israel, Kobbi Shoshani, gracing the event with his presence despite his commitments. Our host, Solomon Sopher, Chairman and Managing Director of the Sir Jacob Sassoon Trust, whose presence exuded wisdom and warmth, honoured his commitment to the Rotary Club of Bombay despite his ill health and welcomed us all. His address on the history of the synagogue and the significance of the Jewish community of Bombay was enriching. It was an enlightening journey into the rich tapestry of Jewish culture and spirituality in India. He spoke of King David’s plea to God for his people: “Wisdom, wisdom, wisdom.”
Hazha guided us through the details of the synagogue’s structure, customs, and the significance of various festivals. An extraordinary moment was witnessing the Torah and a reading using the Yad, or reading pointer, to ensure an ordered reading. The prayer recitation was a divine moment.
The event’s attendance exceeded expectations, with an astounding fifty-six members. The original numbers envisaged were around thirty, but due to unprecedented demand, additional seats were made available. We enjoyed a sumptuous Baghdadi Jewish dinner featuring an array of thoughtfully curated items reflecting the community’s traditions.
This visit not only deepened our understanding of Jewish culture but also reinforced the importance of cherishing and preserving Mumbai’s multicultural heritage.
The Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, the second-oldest Sephardic synagogue in Mumbai, was constructed in 1884. It was designed by British Bombay-based architects Gostling and Morris, built in the classical revival style, and financed by the Sassoon family, prominent philanthropists of 19thcentury Bombay. Nestled in the bustling Kala Ghoda area, this striking skyblue structure is one of the most prominent landmarks of Mumbai’s Jewish heritage. Its stunning decorative interiors feature Victorian stained-glass windows and rich Burmese teakwood furnishings and staircase. The building continues to function as a synagogue and remains the centre of Jewish cultural and religious life in Mumbai.
The resurrection of the ‘Blue Synagogue,’ as Keneseth is popularly known, brings back a strong flavour of Mumbai’s 19th and early 20th century economic and socio-cultural history. The synagogue was restored beautifully with the support of Sangita Jindal of the JSW Foundation. A Journey through Faith and Heritage: Visiting the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue
A special and unique immersive experience of heritage, culture, culinary, and history! It has been beautifully curated with great thought and detail.
On Tuesday, December 17th, 2024, we experienced beauty, an understanding of Jewish Indian Culture, architectural excellence, and cuisine at one of the oldest gems in Bombay then and Mumbai now, on the occasion of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights.
We had the wonderful privilege of Consul General of Israel Kobbi Shoshani gracing the event with his presence despite his commitments. Our host Solomon Sopher Chairman and Managing Director of Sir Jacob Sassoon Trust, whose presence exuded wisdom and warmth, honoured his commitment and word to the Rotary Club of Bombay, despite his ill health and welcomed us all. His address on the history of the synagogue, significance of the Jewish community of Bombay, was enriching. His address was an enlightening journey into the rich tapestry of Jewish culture and spirituality in India. He spoke of “King David’s ask of God for his people was Wisdom, Wisdom, Wisdom.” Hazha took us through the details of the synagogue, structure, customs and the significance of the various festivals and the extraordinary moment was witnessing the Torah and a reading using the Yad or Reading pointer, to ensure more ordinal reading. The prayers recitation was a divine moment.
The event’s attendance exceeded our expectations, with an astounding fifty-six members. The original numbers envisaged were around thirty, but due to the unprecedented demand, we acceded to the requests for more seats. We enjoyed a sumptuous Baghdadi Jewish dinner with an array of thoughtfully put together items reflecting all the traditions of the community.
This visit not only deepened our understanding of Jewish culture but also reinforced the importance of cherishing and preserving Mumbai’s multicultural heritage.
The Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue the second-oldest Sephardic synagogue in Mumbai, constructed in 1884 designed by British, Bombay-based architects Gostling and Morris, built in the classical revival style, and financed by the Sassoon family, prominent philanthropists in Bombay in the nineteenth century. Nestled in the bustling Kala Ghoda area , this striking sky-blue structure is one of the most prominent landmarks of Mumbai’s Jewish heritage. The stunning decorative interiors feature Victorian stained-glass windows and rich Burmese teakwood furnishings and staircase.
The building continues to be used as a synagogue and is the centre of Jewish cultural and religious life in Mumbai. The resurrection of the ‘Blue Synagogue,’ as the Keneseth is popularly known, brings back a strong flavour of Mumbai’s 19th and early 20th century economic and socio-cultural history. The Synagogue was restored beautifully with the support of Sangita Jindal of JSW Foundation.
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