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Beth Shalom Synagogue at Surabaya, Indonesia
“The last vestige of one [of] Indonesia’s oldest and largest Jewish communities is now just a pile of rubble,” the Jakarta Globe wrote in June 2013.1 The Beth Shalom Synagogue in Surabaya, on Java, had been destroyed a month before. The synagogue, a Dutch-style building located in the middle of Surabaya's business district, dated back to the 19th century.2 Except for its mezuzah and the Stars of David carved on the doors, it looked like any other residential building in the neighborhood. It had been sealed off by Islamic hardliners in 2009, after becoming a focal point for anti-Israel protests.
Description
The Synagogue The destruction of the synagogue came as a suprise to many in Surabaya, as it had been designated a heritage site by the Surabaya Tourist Agency in April 2009.3 The Surabaya Legislative Council indicated that the demolition directly violated the Law on Cultural Heritage.4 However, there are conflicting versions of events. Various authorities claimed that the synagogue's owner had sold the building, that the building was illegal because it lacked building permits, or that it was being used as a residential building rather than a synagogue.5
Indonesia's Jewish Community The first Jews arrived in Indonesia with the Dutch East India Company in the 1600s.6 During the 1930s and 1940s, the community was bolstered by the arrival of Jews fleeing from persecution in Europe, reaching a peak of about 2000 people. Current estimates suggest that about twenty Jewish families live in Indonesia.7 Judaism is not one of Indonesia's five official religions.8
![Surabaya Synagogue, Entrance [2] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 1980). Courtesy of Ilan Shahar/ Beth Hatfusot.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/GzldqOzTTFWPZjAGLLDU/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Synagogue Sign [2] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 1980). Courtesy of Ilan Shahar/ Beth Hatfusot.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/H4mJzVDSty2z9hfdL9Gg/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Holy Ark [1] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011). Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/a3haumZCRmy8bM9uoHZn/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Synagogue Interior [2] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 1982). Courtesy of Ruby Sayers/ Beth Hatfusot.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/eeiMRE2HTu6ROwUfuObp/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Holy Ark [3] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 1982). Courtesy of Ruby Sayers/ Beth Hatfusot.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/OgQnlw10TQad5yBPceyc/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Holy Ark [4] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 1982). Courtesy of Ruby Sayers/ Beth Hatfusot.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/VEEk4R7hRu2zf4LOoaZF/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Joseph Ezra Isaak Nassiem Inscription [2] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 1982). Courtesy of Ruby Sayers/ Beth Hatfusot.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/9yvDBS8KSYa60bEUwHHe/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Holy Ark [5] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 1982). Courtesy of Ilan Shara/ Beth Hatfusot.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/kA3mhSfTSz6Ug27ElCyB/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Synagogue Interior [1] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011) Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/yNLCaCBkRROvC7DPFXHg/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Joseph Ezra Isaak Nassiem Inscription [1] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011). Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/5qTniCU3Rc2weGUG14ng/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Interior Doors [1] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011). Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/vj5zuRBTTfyaMWKegiWo/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Exterior and Path [2] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011). Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/gzjjlGrmRNG2pKXmPDHG/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Exterior and Path [1] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011). Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/5p9m1fbtT72qtv57Tn2A/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Synagogue Sign [1] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011). Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/JUrStyCiRnuV0g2eX6Qg/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
![Surabaya Synagogue, Exterior [1] (Surabaya, Indonesia, 2011). Courtesy of Jono David/ HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library.](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/ro0oLb53Ty0YxNSEdp7w/convert?w=100&h=100&fit=crop)
Sources
[1] Pasandaran, Camelia. "Java's Last Synagogue Torn Down." Jakarta Globe, June 15, 2013. Accessed July 21, 2014. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/javas-last-synagogue-torn-down/
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] "Indonesia's last synagogue, an intended heritage site, is destroyed." The Times of Israel, October 4, 2013. Accessed July 22, 2014. http://www.timesofisrael.com/indonesias-last-synagogue-an-intended-heritage-site-destroyed/
[7] Ibid.
[8] Polansky, Larry. "The Surabaya, Indonesia Jewish Community." May 23, 2010. Accessed July 22, 2014. http://eamusic.dartmouth.edu/~larry/misc_writings/jew_indonesia/surabaya.html