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Location: Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy road, Byculla

Photographs by Robin Chhabra and Amira Shah.

The Jews in Mumbai are few, 5000 to say the most and hence when enlisting the minority communities in India, very often we forget to mention theirs. It is important to highlight their contributions to Mumbai laid through the foundations of the Sassoon empire. David Sassoon, fled Baghdad (a baghdadi jew) to arrive in Mumbai in 1832. Along with his family, he set up his home in the Byculla area and with it, the mercantile Sassoon empire. He traded in silver, gold, silks, gum, spices, opium, cotton, wool, wheat. It was said that “whatever moves over sea or land feels the hand or bears the mark of Sassoon and company”. It must also be noted that while through trade and commerce Mumbai benefitted greatly from this empire, Sir David Sassoon and his family also made great philanthropic contributions. Schools, colleges, libraries, hospitals and so forth. The home he built in Byculla (now Masina hospital) became a hub of social and religious activity. It was close to this home that he decided to build the Magen David synagogue in 1861.

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Painted in a chalky blue and overshadowed by a cloudy sky, the first impulse is to stare at the imposing clock tower, a part of the religious edifice. Interestingly, this clock tower became a trade mark for most monuments donated by the patriarch of the Sassoon family, differentiating the offerings made by other family members. The entrance of this two storeyed structure is marked by tall pillars laced in white. While the blue and white paint renders this synagogue a distinguinshed look, its facade, bearing a few corinthian columns which add a dash of decor, is quite simple. In contrast to the outside, the inside is dazzling with yellow and white lights lit even during the day. It reminded me of Diwali celebrations. A red carpeted central prayer area provides for a sense of symmetry within the synagogue and benches of varying designs are laid out all over. The visit to this synagogue, however, felt incomplete for it was at an odd hour and marked by the absence of worshippers and that makes it difficult to feel a religious space in its entireity. While I wish to experience a synagogue when followers are in attendence, for the time being I have become more aware of this small community living in Mumbai and of their contributions made thus far.