The Magen Abraham Synagogue
By Surabhee Satheesh | Published on : February 5, 2020The Yahudi worship house in the city………..
A synagogue is a place of worship for the people of the Jewish community. The Jews originally hail from Israel. Ahmedabad had a good number of Jews earlier. Gradually though, their numbers dwindled. Presently, there are only about 125 members of the Bene Israel Jewish Community here.
The Magen Abraham synagogue in Ahmedabad is the only Jewish place of worship in the entire state of Gujarat. The cornerstone of the synagogue was laid on 19 October 1933 by Abigailbai Benjamin Issac Bhonker. The local Jews gave hefty contributions to build the synagogue. It was consecrated on 2nd September 1934.
The place has chequered marble flooring inside. In addition, the entrance is arched. The ceilings are high. As a result, a good amount of sunlight and cross ventilation is there. Moreover, the roof is triangular. There are Grecian pillars acting as support structures. In conclusion, the synagogue reflects Indo-Judaist architecture. Adding charm to the entire place are the stained glass panes The community gets together here to celebrate their festivals like the Day of Atonement, Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah and many more.
The synagogue remains busiest on Mondays and Wednesdays. The best time to visit the Yahudi worship house is around 3 PM. Keep aside approximately 2 hrs of your time for the visit. The synagogue holds the ‘Heritage Site’ status. It is located in the busy and congested Khamasa area of old Ahmedabad.
So what are you thinking? Connect with Experience Ahmedabad to get a first-hand account of the place and the associated Jewish culture. You cannot afford to miss this one !!!!
