Magen Abraham Synagogue is the only Jewish synagogue of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

state situated in

Ahmedabad, India Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per th ...

. It was built in 1934 using donations from members of the

Bene Israel The Bene Israel (), also referred to as the "Shanivar Teli" () or " Native Jew" caste, are a community of Jews in India. It has been suggested that they are the descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes via their ancestors who had settled there ce ...

Jewish community of the state.

History and location

The corner stone of the synagogue was laid on 19 October 1933 by Abigailbai Benjamin Issac Bhonker. The synagogue was consecrated on 2 September 1934. The synagogue stands across the street from a

Parsi Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...

Fire Temple at Bukhara Mohulla in Khamasa in the

old Ahmedabad The Historic City of Ahmadabad or Old Ahmedabad, the walled city of Ahmedabad in India, was founded by Ahmad Shah I of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1411. It remained the capital of the state of Gujarat for six centuries and later became the importa ...

. It is included in the heritage list of the city.

Architecture

The synagogue is built in the Indo-Judaic art deco style with marble chequered floors and a large ark. It is built in an Indo-Judaica architectural form. The furniture consists of movable pews arranged around a central Bimah. The Ark contains multiple Torahs of many sizes and in hard cases. The women's balcony is unusual (as compared to other synagogues in India) in that it is not supported by pillars. The synagogue has Grecian pillars with triangular roof and high ceiling. There are several religious artifacts including artistic grills, stained glass windows and chandeliers.

Community

The Jewish community in Ahmedabad has shrunk considerably in the past few decades with many families emigrating to

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

. There were 120 members in 2020. Members of the community have been prominent in the educational field in Ahmedabad. Notable institutions include the Nelson's group of schools, the Best School and many others.

Culture

The synagogue has a small but still active community. The communal celebration of Pesah (

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...

) still takes place and

High Holy Days The High Holidays also known as the High Holy Days, or Days of Awe in Judaism, more properly known as the Yamim Noraim ( he, יָמִים נוֹרָאִים, ''Yāmīm Nōrāʾīm''; "Days of Awe") #strictly, the holidays of Rosh HaShanah ("Jewi ...

are observed annually.

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Bene Israel Synagogues in India Art Deco synagogues Orthodox Judaism in India Orthodox synagogues Religious buildings and structures in Ahmedabad Sephardi Jewish culture in India Sephardi synagogues