Thursday 25 May, 2023
10.30am - 12.30pm (1 pm with optional lunch at own cost)
Cost:
S$35.00 (Member)
S$45.00 (Guest)
The first Jews to settle in Singapore were of Arab-speaking Sephardic Jews from Iraq. They migrated to Singapore after Raffles established it as a trading post in 1819. The first synagogue, a two-storey shophouse, in the Boat Quay area was established in the 1840s. Sadly, the building on Synagogue Street is no longer standing. However, it was replaced by two magnificent synagogues, both National Monuments, on Waterloo Street and Oxley Rise. Our tour will cover the Maghain Aboth synagogue in Waterloo Street and the more newly established Jews of Singapore Museum.
We begin our tour at the Jews of Singapore Museum, which opened in 2021, and traces the 200-year history of the Jews here. You will find out why the early Jews made Singapore their home and learn about prominent members of the Jewish community. You will also learn about Jewish rites and festivals.
Next door, at the Maghain Aboth Synagogue which was built in 1878. It is Asia’s second-largest and South East Asia’s oldest synagogue. You will get to see the amazing collection of elaborately decorated Torah scrolls in the Ark and admire its architecture.
By the end of the tour, you will have gained insights into a close-knit community which has, despite its small size, contributed significantly to Singapore’s development.
We will end the morning with lunch (optional at own cost) at the kosher café and shop at the kosher supermarket in the building.