Magen Abraham Synagogue

{{About|the synagogue in Ahmedabad, India|the synagogue in Beirut, Lebanon|Maghen Abraham Synagogue|other uses|Magen Abraham (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox religious building

| building_name = Magen Abraham Synagogue

| native_name = {{ubl|{{langx|he|בית הכנסת מגן אברהם}}|{{langx|gu|મેગન અબ્રાહમ સિનાગોગ}}}}

| image = Ahmedabad Synagogue.jpg

| image_upright = 1.4

| caption = The synagogue exterior, in 2007

| map_type = India Gujarat

| map_size = 250

| map_relief = 1

| map_caption = Location of the synagogue in Gujarat

| location = Bawa Latif Street, Old Town of Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad district, Gujarat

| country = India

| geo = {{coord|23.0220282|72.583874|region:IB_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| religious_affiliation = Orthodox Judaism

| rite = Nusach Sefard

| consecration_year =

| status = Synagogue

| functional_status = Active

| heritage_designation = Yes

| leadership =

| website = {{url|MagenAbraham.20m.com}}

| architect = {{ubl|Daniel Samson|Ellis Abraham Bhinjekar}}

| architecture_type = {{nowrap|Synagogue architecture}}

| architecture_style = Indo-Judaic Art Deco

| facade_direction =

| established = 1848 {{small|(as a congregation)}}

| funded_by = Dr Solomon Abraham Erulkar

| founded_by = Bene Israel community

| groundbreaking = 19 October 1933

| year_completed = 1934

| construction_cost =

| general_contractor = D. V. Patel

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The Magen Abraham Synagogue ({{langx|he|בית הכנסת מגן אברהם||Shield of Abraham Synagogue}}; {{langx|gu|મેગન અબ્રાહમ સિનાગોગ}}) is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Old Town neighbourhood of Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, India. {{as of|2015}}, it was the only synagogue in the entire state.{{cite web |author=John, Paul |title=Only synagogue in state enshrined in heritage list |website=The Times of India |date=13 April 2015 |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Only-synagogue-in-state-enshrined-in-heritage-list/articleshow/46902010.cms |access-date=1 January 2016}} It was built in 1934 using donations from members of the Bene Israel Jewish community of the state.

History

Bene Israel Jews first arrived in Gujarat from Maharashtra in the mid-19th century; and the congregation was formed in 1848.

The cornerstone 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 on Bawa Latif Street, across the street from a Parsi Fire Temple at Bukhara Mohulla in Khamasa in the Historic City of Ahmadabad. It is included in the heritage list of the city. The synagogue was named in honour of Dr. Abraham Erulkar, one of the first Jews to come to Ahmedabad and the father of Dr. Solomon Abraham Erulkar, who helped to fund construction of the synagogue.{{Cite news |author=Klein, David Ian |date=Summer 2017 |title=Kabbalat Shabbat in Khamasa: The Jews of Ahmedabad |language=en |work=Contact |publisher=Steinhardt Foundation |url=https://steinhardtfoundation.org/contact/summer_2017/summer_2017_klein.htm |access-date=10 November 2024 }}{{Cite web |date=2014 |title=Gujurat - Magen Abraham Synagogue |language=en |work=Indian Jewish Heritage Center |url=http://indianjews.org/en/research/jewish-sites-in-india/49-magen-abraham-synagogue |access-date=10 November 2024 }}

Designed by Daniel Samson and Ellis Abraham Bhinjekar, the synagogue was built in the Indo-Judaic Art Deco architectural form with marble chequered floors and a large ark.{{Cite web |author=Jafri, Furqaan |title=Ahmedabad’s Bene Israel Jewish Community: An Overlooked Minority |url=https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/9/15587/ahmedabads-bene-israel-jewish-community-an-overlooked-minority |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=www.thecitizen.in |language=en-US}} The furniture consists of movable pews arranged around a central Bimah. The Ark contains multiple Torah scrolls of many sizes and in hard cases. The women's balcony is unusual, when compared to other Orthodox 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 artefacts including artistic grills, stained glass windows and chandeliers.

Community

The size of the Jewish community in Ahmedabad has reduced considerably since the 1980s, as many families made aliyah to Israel, or emigrated to the United States or Europe. In 2018, the Gujarat government granted minority status to Jews living in the state.{{Cite news |author= |date=July 2018 |title=Indian state of Gujarat gives Jews official minority status |language=en |work=Jewish News Syndicate |url=https://www.jns.org/indian-state-of-gujarat-gives-jews-official-minority-status/ |access-date=10 November 2024 }}{{Cite news |author= |date=29 June 2018 |title=Jews in Gujarat will get minority status |language=en |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/jews-in-gujarat-will-get-minority-status/articleshow/64786550.cms |access-date=10 November 2024 }} {{as of|2020}}, there were 120 members.{{Cite news |author=Jain, Saudamini |date=April 25, 2020 |title=India’s Jewish ‘Microscopic Minority’ Feels Safe From the Coronavirus — for Now |language=en |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/asia-and-australia/.premium-india-s-jewish-microscopic-minority-feels-safe-from-the-coronavirus-for-now-1.8793894 |access-date=2022-05-20}}

The synagogue has a small and active community. Pesah and High Holy Days are observed annually.

= Notable members =

Reuben David, a veterinarian who founded the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden, Kankaria; awarded a Padma Shri{{cite web |author=David, Esther |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/animal-instinct/1/135113.html |title=Animal instinct |work=intoday.in |date=April 25, 2011 |access-date= }}{{cite web |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/amc-to-mark-100th-birth-anniversary-of-zoologist-reuben-david-today/1004742/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150224015053/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/amc-to-mark-100th-birth-anniversary-of-zoologist-reuben-david-today/1004742/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 February 2015 |title=AMC to mark 100th birth anniversary of zoologist Reuben David today |work=Indian Express |access-date=2014-02-24}}
Esther David, an author, artist, and sculptor and recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award; daughter of Reuben David{{cite book |author=Weil, Shalva |year=2008 |chapter=Esther David: The Bene Israel Novelist who Grew Up with a Tiger |editor1=Shulman, David |editor2=Weil, Shalva Weil |title=Karmic Passages: Israeli Scholarship on India |location=New Delhi |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=232–253 |isbn= }}{{cite journal |author=Weil, Shalva |year=2012 |title=The Bene Israel Indian Jewish Family in Transnational Context |journal=Journal of Comparative Family Studies |volume=43 |number=1 |pages=71–80 |issn= |doi= }}
Esther Solomon, a leading scholar in the study of Sanskrit; awarded a Padma Shri