Tales of an Integrated Past from the Synagogues of Kolkata

One of the many stories about Kolkata’s synagogues that Jewish scholar Zail Silliman is fond of recounting is a plan in the 1970s by members of the community to move the splendid Maghain David Synagogue brick by brick from Kolkata .

The drastic plan was thought of as there were not enough people to look after the synagogues due to the migration of Jews from Kolkata.

However, the Maghen David Synagogue, now protected under the Archaeological Survey of India, has survived the ravages of time and still stands as an awe-inspiring monument in one of the busiest parts of Kolkata.

On a November afternoon, ASI’s Kolkata Circle organized a heritage walk celebrating the city’s Jewish architecture.

At the junction of Brabourne Road and Canning Street, less than 200 meters from the Beth-el Synagogue on Pollock Street, between the voices of the Magahan David Synagogue azaan A nearby mosque and centuries-old Portuguese church bells not only shed light on the metropolis’s cosmopolitan culture, but also the city’s splendid non-British architecture.

“Synagogues are not just beautiful monuments, they are the heart and soul of our community,” said Ms Silliman, describing the history of the ghetto in Kolkata.

The first Jews arrived in Kolkata from Syria via Surat in 1799, and in less than 30 years they built the city’s first synagogue – Neve Shalom in 1826. It was demolished in 1884 to give way to the magnificent Magan David Synagogue but was later rebuilt. In the same premises in 1912.

For Ms. Silliman, if Maghen David is the king of the synagogue because of its architecture, the Beth-el synagogue is the queen. She describes Beth-El as “the most complete synagogue” with the mikveh, a place for a ritual bath, a place from the making. matzah (unleavened bread used during the Jewish Passover ceremony) and a wine cellar.

Pollock Street, where the Beth-el Synagogue is located (built in 1855–56), was a Jewish neighborhood and several important institutions, including the Jewish Girls’ High School, were located on the other side of the street next to the synagogue. A plaque highlighting the location of the school which stood till a few years ago has now disappeared.

Various architectural elements of the Maghen David Synagogue also tell the story of 19th century Kolkata which was part of a cosmopolitan world.

Designed by a British firm, The Macintosh Burn, The Magen David, unlike many synagogues, has a staircase about 142 feet high and its clock was imported from London. The floor in front of the sanctuary was designed by a Dutch firm and is made of Castellon tiles.

Ms Silliman, who has worked on the city’s Jewish heritage for the past two decades, also points out that when the Magan David Synagogue was built in 1884, there was no electricity in the city and beautiful chandeliers were lit in the synagogue. from olive oil.

“After electricity came to Kolkata, a beneficiary from our community bought a beautiful electrolia – basically a large chandelier with 30 cut glass lamps along with electric bulbs – and brought it from the Grand Opera House in Kolkata ,” she said, emphasizing on such developments and pointing out how Jews flourished in Kolkata.

Jail Silliman in a wine cellar at the Beth-El Synagogue.