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Ohel David Synagogue, Pune, India

Description

BACKGROUND

According to Sifra Lentin, David Sassoon “began his life in India when he nailed his mezuza, the sign of a Jewish home, to his doorpost at 9 Tamarind Lane.”[1] Indeed, the story goes that it was at 9 Tamarind Lane, the address of an old counting house, that newly arrived David Sassoon birthed his trading company David Sassoon & Co, which would become a giant in the worldwide trade of opium, cotton, teak and other commodities. More than just a successful businessman, Sassoon was a pious orthodox Jew who enlivened the Baghdadi Jews of Bombay with a strong sense of community. His mansion in Byculla, Sans Souci became a gathering spot for Jews on the Sabbath, a place where lively religious services and impassioned religious and Talmudic studies abounded. The frequent gatherings at his mansion quickly developed into a Jewish brotherhood: Hebrath Beth David (Brotherhood of the House of David). Hebrath Beth David, according to Weil, would become a new paradigm for Baghdadi Jewish communal life and religious observance in Bombay. Sassoon would become the benefactor of the Magen David Synagogue in Byculla (1861), the Ohel David Synagogue in Poona (1867), the Sassoon Hospital in Poona (1867),[2] as well as many landmarks in Jewish hubs in Palestine and Iraq.[3] Sassoon’s work as a businessman, philanthropist and leader of the community of Baghdadi Jewish refugees was not confined to an insular Jewish community, but had a massive influence on the landscape and development of Bombay as a city. Specifically, David Sassoon’s venture into the world of opium trade with the Chinese brought in tremendous wealth to Bombay, bolstering its cotton mill industry and providing funds for the city’s public buildings and city planning.[4] After David’s death in 1867, his children would continue to play focal roles in the Jewish community and economy of Bombay.

SITE

The Ohel David Synagogue was built by David Sassoon in 1867 in the city of Pune in the southwest of India. In the mid 19th century, when the Baghdadi Jewish community of Mumbai flourished, an auxiliary Jewish community emerged in the city of Pune, where the Jews of Mumbai would go in the summer to avoid the heat. These Baghdadi Jews would often spend the high holidays in Pune, which is likely what inspired Sassoon to build this synagogue there.[5]

In 2014, the Ohel David Synagogue of Pune celebrated 150 years of existence. Descendants of David Sassoon Rabbi Yacob Menashe and Dr. Sarah Menashe joined together with Indian Jews from Mumbai and Thane to celebrate this enduring symbol of Jewish India. However, most Baghdadi Jews emigrated from India in the 1950s and 60s. Those that attended this ceremony were primarily indigenous Bene Israeli Jews. Two Baghdadi Jews who did attend this ceremony were Solomon Sopher and his sister Mozelle. Solomon is the president of Sassoon trusts.[6]

Pune, India

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