Neveh Shalom Synagogue and a brief history of Jews in Kolkata

Aleppo is Syria is literally at the verge of annihilation now. A city which was once at the forefront of trade is now falling victim to bombs and guns in a civil war which no one is winning, yet no one is willing to let go of. But Aleppo was vastly different in the 18th century - it was still the hub of international trade and a melting pot of cultures from all continents.

As a centre of trade, Aleppo also had a thriving population of traders and businessmen who travelled across the world to build their fortune. One such man was Shalom Aharon Obadiah Cohen, a Jew born in Aleppo in the year 1762. Thirty six years later he became the fist Jew ever to migrate to Kolkata (then Calcutta), the thriving colonial capital of British India. And with him started the immigration of other Jews from middle-east, particularly from Baghdad, many of whom settled down and made India their home.

Neveh Shalom Synagogue jews history kolkata calcutta
Neveh Shalom Synagogue in Kolkata 
Magen David Synagogue jews history kolkata calcutta
Magen David Synagogue 

Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to come to India, yet in case of Kolkata, Jews were the last one to come in. However, despite their relatively late arrival and small numbers, they quickly became quite effluent and during their heydays, there were about 6000 Jews in the city and five synagogues to meet their religious needs. Sadly only three survive now.

With the rebirth of Israel after the second world war, things changed quickly and most Jews immigrated to their new home in the promised land. Currently there are only about twenty Jews in Kolkata and their once magnificent places of worship now remain locked with prayers happening only on special occasions.

Neveh Shalom Synagogue

One of the prominent places of worship was Neveh Shalom Synagogue, the first synagogue ever to be built in Kolkata by the Baghdadi Jews and this is it’s story.

‘Sir, you can’t go inside without the cap’, he told me, almost like a command.

I obliged and actually felt quite good to be wearing a Jewish cap. I took a selfie while he still looked at me disapprovingly. I tried my charming and disarming smile, but it fell flat too. Over the years I have realised that such charming smiles work best on women, but I had no other methods of disarming this strict man. We walked in the synagogue and I was awestruck by the simplicity and the history of the place.

The synagogue was originally built in the year 1831 to meet the needs of growing Jewish population in Kolkata. Originally designed as simply a prayer hall, after about sixty years it was found to be too small and so was demolished. In it’s place came up the magnificent Magen David Synagogue, which is currently also one of Asia’s largest synagogue. The synagogue was closed for restoration work, so I had to give it a pass and come to Neveh Shalom Synagogue to understand the history of Jews in Kolkata.

Neveh Shalom Synagogue jews history kolkata calcutta
Torah is kept here during prayers
Neveh Shalom Synagogue jews history kolkata calcutta
Interiors of Neveh Shalom Synagogue in Kolkata 

Though the Neveh Shalom Synagogue got replaced by another bigger synagogue, people were still nostalgic about it and in the year 1911 it was rebuilt right next to the Magen David Synagogue. Much simpler in design, the synagogue is more like a prayer hall and is literally a catalogue of Jews in the city.

The population of Jews in the city is close to nil, so the synagogue is hardly ever used for prayers now, except on special occasion when Jews often come from Israel to offer prayers. It’s actually the funds from these patrons which keeps the place alive even today.

Neveh Shalom Synagogue jews history kolkata calcutta
Our caretaker at the synagogue 

Our guide told us some stories, and later when the caretaker saw me taking so many notes and being so interested in the history of the place, he opened up too. He invited me on the first floor, where there was a small exhibition on the history of Jews in the city as well as many other memorabilia from the bygone era.

I saw some steps and showed my deep inclination to walk up to the roof, and he was quite ok with it. There was nothing much to see of the synagogue from top, but the view of Kolkata was simply magnificent. Just across the street was Portuguese Church (Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary) which was built a little even before the synagogue in the year 1799.

Neveh Shalom Synagogue jews history kolkata calcutta
Portuguese Church across the street 

As we walked down the spiral staircase, the caretaker told me how the synagogues in the city were all taken care of by Muslims of the city. It was quite interesting to see that the Jews is Israel were extremely comfortable with local Muslims being the caretakers.

How to reach Neveh Shalom Synagogue?

The Neveh Shalom Synagogue is located at the intersection of Canning Street and Brabourne Road right next to Magen David Synagogue. However, it’s really easy to miss the entrance as it’s through a really busy market located on the footpath. So ask around if you can’t find it. Basically you need to walk from the Magen David Synagogue towards the Portuguese Church on the left side of the road, and the entrance is also on the left - a few simple steps to the synagogue.

Address:
9A, Indra Kumar Karnani St
China Bazar, Kolkata
West Bengal 700001

Map:



Entrance fee: Free

A video-story on the remaining Jews of Kolkata

Before you go, do have a look at this really nice video by Al Jazeera about the last few remaining Jews in Kolkata :)

Comments

  1. Nice to know about this lovely synagogue.

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  2. Loved this write-up :)
    Wishing you more such travels :)

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  3. Never knew such a Synagogue exists in Kolkata. Thank you for this write up.

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  4. Great write-up, I knew that are 3 main Jewish hubs in India - Mumbai,kerala,kolkata. I just came to know from u that Kolkata's Jewish hub has become so small

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    1. Thank you Nithin! And yes, I am hoping to visit some in Mumbai as well :)

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  5. Neveh Shalom was built originally in 1831 and was rebuilt in 1911. It should be 1831 instead of 1931.

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    1. Thank you so much for the correction! I just updated :)

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  6. The Neveh Shalom Synagogue is a hidden gem of Kolkata. It's a must-visit destination for both history enthusiasts and architecture aficionados. Thanks for writing about it.

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