Three imposing synagogues stand silently in the bustling Brabourne Road locality almost awaiting as it were the arrival of a rabbi. Impeccably maintained, they bear proud testimony to the fact that the Baghdadi Jews once considered the City of Joy their home.
Do consider visiting them to experience Calcutta’s diversity. Except on Saturdays and at mealtimes, you ought to find a caretaker on the premises who are usually more than happy to show you around while regaling you with stories. The present lot are third generation Muslim custodians of these places of Jewish worship.
Neveh Shalom Synagogue
Located at : 9A, Indra Kumar Karnani Street, China Bazaar. (The entrance with encroachments is on Brabourne Road. It is more easily accessible through the Maghen David Synagogue which was built later in its compound.) https://goo.gl/maps/oocKtNg1KaGtJTKj6
The oldest yet least impressive of all the Calcutta synagogues is Neveh Shalom. Built in 1831 by Shalome Obaidah ha-Kohen, this one is the most rudimentary in appearance.
The main entrance is now encroached upon by hawkers and an alternative entrance is available through the premises of the neighbouring Magen David Synagogue.
The traditional marriage stand or chuppah is seen in the upper balcony. This balcony was initially designed to accommodate the ladies.
Today, it has an interesting exhibition that educates visitors on the time when lucrative trade brought the Jews to Calcutta. Do request the caretaker to allow you out on the small terrace of the synagogue. Here you can enjoy an exquisite view of this vibrant locality and the domed towers of the only remaining relic of Calcutta’s lesser known Portuguese past, the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary.
In the centre of the large hall stands the bimah, the raised platform from which the Torah was read.
Beth El Synagogue
Located at : 26, Pollock Street, Chitpur, Burrabazaar(accessible through Ezra Street too) https://goo.gl/maps/MpNSta7ceq9CLesq5
Commissioned by the wealthy Ezra family, the Beth El or House of God Synagogue stands on Pollock Street. Post a long period of closure for repairs and renovations, this place of worship has an awe-inspiring colonnaded interior. The stained glass windows and the curvilinear ceiling will leave you breathless.
What sets this synagogue, built in 1856, apart are the additional features that it houses. Below the synagogue is a wine cellar where Kosher wine was made and stored, a clay structure, used as an oven to prepare matzah or the unleavened flatbread consumed during the passover.
At the rear is the mikwah, where in the days of yore, Jewish brides took a ritual bath before marriage. According to the current set of caretakers, they would be prepared and dressed here. Then, they would make their way to the Neveh Shalome synagogue where the wedding rituals would be conducted.
The Archaeological Survey of India are the custodians of this synagogue.
Magen David Synagogue
Located at : 19, Synagogue Street, Burrabazaar, Kolkata – 700001. (just off the Brabourne Road- Canning Street Crossing) https://goo.gl/maps/GpsCJD4wTxhMSt7d6
Standing at the crossing of Brabourne Road and Canning Street one easily mistakes the red brick spire that rises above the crowded street for a church. Few are privy to the knowledge that the spire is that of the Maghen David Synagogue.
Built by Elias David Ezra in 1884, to accommodate the growing Jewish population in Calcutta and allow them to worship without overcrowding. Maghen David or the Shield of David is a stupendous edifice that boasts of Italian Renaissance style architecture.
The bimah is a grand one, polished with wood and gold.
Jewish Legacy beyond the synagogues
They are not however the only legacy of this community. Nahoum’s, the famed Jewish bakery in the heart of New Market remains an eternal favourite. Jewish Girls’ School located on Park Street and Elias Meyer’s Free School are a part of the Jewish heritage of the city. Ezra Street, now a congested lane famed for a market for electrical goods of all kinds, is named after the enterprising Elias David Joseph Ezra who gave to the city, some of its most magnificent mansions, Esplanade Mansion, Chowringhee Mansion and Ezra Mansion. The Sha’arah Rasone Prayer Hall and the Jewish Cemetery with its Pavillion, the Star of David are two smaller and lesser known elements of this history.
The Merriest Feet 