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Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue, Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)
From Ruth Fredman’s Almost Englishmen:
“It would be easy to miss Musmeah Yeshua, the grand and all-but-silent synagogue in the heart of Rangoon. It stands behind high white walls, on a narrow street filled with vendors of betel nuts, bananas, books, paint, and homeopathic medicines. From the busy street corner one catches a glimpse of the Sule Pagoda, reputed to be twenty-five hundred years old, an important center of Buddhist worship in this deeply religious land. A few blocks away is the Strand Hotel, where dignitaries, royalty and writers stayed when the British ruled the country in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Balconied buildings line the roads, ever confronting the incessant press of nature in hot, humid Burma.
But if you turn from the sights of the streets and raise your eyes, you will see above the white walls an archway decorated with a seven-branched blue candelabra and the name of the synagogue in large blue letters. Surprisingly well maintained amid the graying buildings that line the street, the synagogue stands as a testimony to the proud community that constructed it in the late nineteenth century, and to the devotion of the few remaining Jews of Burma, who hold it in trust for an uncertain future.”[1]
The Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue is located in the center of Yangon (formerly ‘Rangoon’), Myanmar (formerly ‘Burma’). It sits on a bustling one-way street, surrounded by Indian and Muslim retail and trade shops.[4] Built in 1854 with a land grant provided by the British, it remains the only synagogue in Myanmar today, and the only place in which the small community of Jews in Yangon can congregate to worship.[5] Originally built of wood, the synagogue was restored using stone in 1896, and is one of 188 protected Historic Sites in Yangon.[6] Today, with so few Jews remaining in Yangon (and in Myanmar as a whole), much of the maintenance and care for the synagogue is left to Sammy Samuels, son of Moses Samuels, a Jew of Iraqi descent.[7]
Description
Jews of Myanmar: Before WWII there were roughly 2,500 Jews in Burma.[8] British colonial rule in Burma (1824 - 1948) increased the migration of Jews to Burma, transplanting large communities of Jews from around the world into Burmese lands. One such community was made up of Sephardic Jews who came over with the British from India.[9] A large community of Baghdadi Jews also arrived in Burma in late 19th century.[10] As Iraq, too, was a soon-to-be British mandate, Iraqi Jews cultivated British trade connections, specifically in teak wood. Additionally, “ethnically Indian Jews,” the Bene Israel and Cochin, made up a large portion of the significant Jewish community in Burma.[11] These Jews are some of the oldest and most historic of India.[12] The Jews of Burma became concentrated in Rangoon, but could also be found in many other regions throughout the country.[13]
Jews integrated well into Burmese society and held important roles as merchants and in social and public life. However, with the onset of WWII and the subsequent invasion of Burma by the Japanese, who were intent on dominating Asia and the Pacific, the Jews were pushed out. During the early war period (roughly 1941-1942) the majority of Burma’s Jews fled to India, Israel, and later, the United States.[14] Like Jews in many colonial contexts, the Jews of Burma were seen as intrinsically connected to the British colonial forces.[15] This conflation left them vulnerable to attack and dispossession at the hands of those looking to overthrow the British, and is therefore the reason for many Jews fleeing during anti-imperial or pro-national skirmishes.
Burma gained its independence from Britain in 1948, the same year as the Partition of Israel and Palestine. Some Jews did return to Burma after the war, joining those that never left in the first place.[16] However, the remaining community was effectively lost in 1962 with the Burmese military coup that resulted in the nationalization of industries as well as loss of trade networks.[17] Jews were greatly affected by these economic shifts as well as losses in the educational sphere and resultant “general chaos” of the regime.[18] Today it is estimated that there are only 20 Jews left in Myanmar.[19]
The synagogue today: Prior to the erection of Musmeah Yeshua, there was a smaller synagogue in the same location. There are stalls on the side of the synagogue which are rented out to provide income for the synagogue. This was for many years the only synagogue in Rangoon, but in the 1930s, another synagogue, Beth-El, was built not far from this one.[20] Unfortunately, Beth-El was destroyed by an earthquake in 2008, leaving Musmeah Yeshua the only standing synagogue in Myanmar.[21]
Rangoon was a British colonial region in Burma, and the main area of Jewish settlement. Musmeah Yeshua was built using a land grant from the British to serve the growing Jewish community.[22] Over the years, however, as the Jewish community of Yangon has dwindled, the maintenance and continuation of the synagogue has been the job of Moses Samuels and his son, Sammy.[23] Moses, a Jew of Iraqi descent, took on the care of the synagogue from his father. He had worked tirelessly to continue the legacy of the great synagogue and the great Jewish community of Rangoon until his death in 2015 at the age of 65.[24] Today, the responsibility rests on the shoulders of his 33-year-old son, Sammy Samuels who is possibly as dedicated to the preservation of the synagogue and what it represents as his father was.
With so few Jews in Yangon today, it is very rare that the synagogue achieves a “minyan,” the 10 men required to practice traditional Jewish worship.[25] That being said, services are held regularly. In fact, the synagogue is utilized by people of many faiths for a number of religious gatherings. The relative religious tolerance of the region allows people of differing faiths to come together for prayer and celebration. For example, on Rosh Hashana, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist friends join the Samuels in welcoming the new year.[26]
Sources
Footnotes:
[1]Ruth Fredman Cernea, Almost Englishmen: Baghdadi Jews in British Burma, Lanham: (Lexington Books, 2007), 1.
[2] Jonathon Zalman, "Remembering Moses Samuels, the Man who Preserved Jewry in Myanmar," Tablet Mag, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/191361/remembering-moses-samuels-the-man-who-preserved-jewry-in-myanmar.
[3]Charles Dunst, “In Repressive Myanmar, a tiny Jewish community hangs on to the past, Times of Israel, Jan. 14, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-repressive-myanmar-a-tiny-jewish-community-hangs-on-to-the-past/.
[4] Jessica Beaton, "Yangon’s Musmeah Yeshua, Myanmar’s Last Synagogue," The Huffington Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-beaton/myanmars-last-synagogue-m_b_2682328.html.
[5] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[6] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[7] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
[8] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[9] Jessica Beaton, "Yangon’s Musmeah Yeshua, Myanmar’s Last Synagogue," The Huffington Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-beaton/myanmars-last-synagogue-m_b_2682328.html.
[10] "Return to Rangoon and the Race to Restore," Jewish Times Asia, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.jewishtimesasia.org/rangoon/268-rangoon-communities/1302-return-to-rangoon-and-the-race-to-restore.
[11] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[12] "Cochin Jews," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_Jews. ; "Bene Israel," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bene_Israel.
[13] "Return to Rangoon and the Race to Restore," Jewish Times Asia, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.jewishtimesasia.org/rangoon/268-rangoon-communities/1302-return-to-rangoon-and-the-race-to-restore.
[14] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[15] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[16] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[17] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[18] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[19] Jessica Beaton, "Yangon’s Musmeah Yeshua, Myanmar’s Last Synagogue," The Huffington Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-beaton/myanmars-last-synagogue-m_b_2682328.html.
[20] Based on "Almost Englishmen" by Ruth Fredman Cernea (Lexington Books: 2006).
[21] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[22] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[23] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
[24] Sam Sokol, "Moses Samuels, Leader of Burma’s Minuscule Jewish Community, Dies at 65," The Jerusalem Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Moses-Samuels-leader-of-Burmas-minuscule-Jewish-community-dies-at-65-404726.
[25] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
[26] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
Gallery Photos: Alex Shaland
Gallery Text: Irene Shaland
(For more on the writer and photographer, see their website Global Travel Authors http://globaltravelauthors.com/)
Bibliography:
[1]Ruth Fredman Cernea, Almost Englishmen: Baghdadi Jews in British Burma, Lanham: (Lexington Books, 2007), 1.
[2] Jonathon Zalman, "Remembering Moses Samuels, the Man who Preserved Jewry in Myanmar," Tablet Mag, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/191361/remembering-moses-samuels-the-man-who-preserved-jewry-in-myanmar.
[3]Charles Dunst, “In Repressive Myanmar, a tiny Jewish community hangs on to the past, Times of Israel, Jan. 14, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-repressive-myanmar-a-tiny-jewish-community-hangs-on-to-the-past/.
[4] Jessica Beaton, "Yangon’s Musmeah Yeshua, Myanmar’s Last Synagogue," The Huffington Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-beaton/myanmars-last-synagogue-m_b_2682328.html.
[5] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[6] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[7] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
[8] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[9] Jessica Beaton, "Yangon’s Musmeah Yeshua, Myanmar’s Last Synagogue," The Huffington Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-beaton/myanmars-last-synagogue-m_b_2682328.html.
[10] "Return to Rangoon and the Race to Restore," Jewish Times Asia, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.jewishtimesasia.org/rangoon/268-rangoon-communities/1302-return-to-rangoon-and-the-race-to-restore.
[11] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[12] "Cochin Jews," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_Jews. ; "Bene Israel," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bene_Israel.
[13] "Return to Rangoon and the Race to Restore," Jewish Times Asia, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.jewishtimesasia.org/rangoon/268-rangoon-communities/1302-return-to-rangoon-and-the-race-to-restore.
[14] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[15] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[16] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[17] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[18] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[19] Jessica Beaton, "Yangon’s Musmeah Yeshua, Myanmar’s Last Synagogue," The Huffington Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-beaton/myanmars-last-synagogue-m_b_2682328.html.
[20] Based on "Almost Englishmen" by Ruth Fredman Cernea (Lexington Books: 2006).
[21] "Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue," Wikipedia, accessed July 19, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musmeah_Yeshua_Synagogue.
[22] "Judaism in Myanmar," Harvard Divinity School: Religious Literacy Project, accessed July 19, 2016, http://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/faq/judaism-myanmar.
[23] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
[24] Sam Sokol, "Moses Samuels, Leader of Burma’s Minuscule Jewish Community, Dies at 65," The Jerusalem Post, accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Moses-Samuels-leader-of-Burmas-minuscule-Jewish-community-dies-at-65-404726.
[25] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
[26] Seth Mydans, "Yangon Journal; Burmese Jew Shoulders Burden of His Heritage," The New York Times," accessed July 19, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/23/world/yangon-journal-burmese-jew-shoulders-burden-of-his-heritage.html.
Gallery Photos: Alex Shaland
Gallery Text: Irene Shaland
(For more on the writer and photographer, see their website Global Travel Authors http://globaltravelauthors.com/)