The last Jews of Burma · FT_Thai Burma_subbed Pete_PP.indd 61 4/19/11 7:25 PM. friends who are Muslim, Buddhist and Christian. They all come to celebrate and eat with us.” One

Yangon might seem an unlikely place to fi nd one of South-East Asia’s most historic Jewish communities. But, as Aaron Cooper discovers, it is a community that’s fast disappearing

The last Jews of Burma

PHO

TOS

BY: A

ARO

N C

OO

PER

07 mei xinFah Th ai

BURMESE JEWS

59

FT_Thai Burma_subbed Pete_PP.indd 59 4/19/11 7:24 PM

AAs the sun sets over Yangon on a Friday evening, 60-year-old

Moses Samuels waits patiently, eyes fi xed on the front gates

of the Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue, where he has been the

trustee and caretaker for over 30 years. The faint hope that

some Jewish visitors might join him to welcome the Sabbath

disappears as twilight fades to dusk. Samuels rises, enters

the temple, solemnly lights the ritual Shabbat candles and

recites a prayer. There was a time when the synagogue would

be fi lled with songs of praise on a Friday evening, but now

only a few birds break the silence. Samuels, one of Myanmar’s

last remaining Jews, turns away from the prayer candles and

confesses, “It’s a lonely job sometimes... but a necessary one.”

Historically, the Jewish people of Myanmar, formerly

known as Burma, arrived as traders. Over time, they gained

the respect of the locals and integrated easily into the

patchwork fabric of Burmese life. But this once-thriving

community, which in an earlier era numbered more than

2,100 in Yangon alone, is now teetering on the brink of

extinction. Only 20 Jews remain nationwide.

The presence of a Jewish community here dates back to the

early 19th century, when Sephardic Jewish traders from the

Middle East stopped in Yangon. The British, who governed

Burma at the time, encouraged them to stay. The community

soon fl ourished as merchants from India and those fl eeing

religious persecution in Iraq began establishing businesses

in Yangon and Mandalay. Samuels, a Baghdadi Jew himself,

explains, “Both the British and the Burmese were tolerant

of diff erent religions. We embraced the country and became

Burmese.” Under British rule, Jews achieved a respected

place in society thanks to their donations to schools, hospitals

and libraries and also to their leadership. At one time, both

Yangon and the port town of Pathein had Jewish mayors.

“The beginning of the end for us was when the Japanese

invaded,” says Samuels. “Most of the community left. It was

a dangerous time and the Japanese were ruthless.” During

World War II the Japanese occupied the country for almost

three years and, because of their good relationship with the

British, the Jewish community was viewed with suspicion.

Many were jailed and some reportedly killed. Samuels’ own

family had to fl ee after his father was suspected of spying.

Although the Samuels clan returned to their home after

the war, the vast majority of Jews who had fl ed Myanmar

did not. Instead, many found new homes abroad. The few

hundred who did return found their businesses destroyed.

When the Burmese government nationalised private

businesses as part of a socialist agenda in the early 1960s,

most of the nation’s remaining Jews moved on. Many

07 mei xinFah Th ai

60


orthodox traditions, such as observing the rules of the

Sabbath, were abandoned and the handful of Jews still here

adopted a more reformed version of Judaism.

The Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue is located on a narrow

lane in the Muslim district. The 115-year-old temple’s

splendour testifi es to the wealth of the community that once

fi lled it. On a hot afternoon, a group of German tourists

are guided into a chamber to gaze at ancient Torah scrolls

that were brought to Burma from Iraq. The tourists soon

approach Samuels with questions, which he gamely answers,

after which each group member thanks him personally.

Several make their way over to a nearby donation box.

Once a vibrant centre of Jewish life in Myanmar, the

synagogue now only comes to life on Rosh Hashanah, the

Jewish New Year. On this day, the remaining members of

the community gather to celebrate alongside Israeli embassy

staff and the handful of Jewish expats working in Yangon.

“But it’s not only Jews who come,” Samuels says. “I have »

Moses Samuels lights Shabbat

candles on a Friday evening at Musmeah Yeshua

Synagogue.Below: The Torah

in a chamber of the synagogue

07 mei xinFah Th ai

61

BURMESE JEWS


friends who are Muslim, Buddhist and Christian. They all

come to celebrate and eat with us.” One of the reasons that

services aren’t held more often is that the last remaining

rabbi emigrated to Israel in 1969. “We rely on visiting rabbis,

mostly from America, to lead our services. We are also

dependent on our visitors’ donations to keep the temple

going.” Although the synagogue is tended to meticulously,

it shows clear signs of years of underfunding, with paint

peeling off the walls and chairs coming apart at the seams.

Samuels realises that the glory days may be gone forever,

but he remains optimistic. “The community may be

disappearing but the Jewish spirit is kept alive through

tourism now.” The temple sees an increasing trickle of

tourists each month and is now a landmark on tour group

itineraries. In response to the fresh interest, a small souvenir

shop was opened in the temple. And, aware of the ever-

expanding tourism market in Myanmar, Samuels started

Myanmar Shalom in 2005, a travel agency with an emphasis

on Judaism that he runs with his son and two daughters.

“Burmese Jews that left long ago are now starting to take

an interest in their heritage.” Samuels says, “Just last month

we had fi ve clients who were born in Myanmar but had

not been here for 60 years! We helped them fi nd the house

where they used to live. Everything started coming back –

childhood memories, even the food they used to eat. It was

very emotional for them.”

A view of the street outside the synagogue. Above: Shabbat candles, wine and glasses on a table

07 mei xinFah Th ai

BURMESE JEWS

62


Conscious of his own lengthy history in Myanmar,

Samuels says, “When I’m not here anymore, my son will

come back and take care of the synagogue.” His son Sammy,

now 30 years old, left for the US nine years ago to study and

returns infrequently. He is also meant to fi nd a Jewish wife

to bring back to Yangon. The Samuels daughters will likely

marry non-Jews, leaving their brother – the last eligible male

among Myanmar’s Jews – with the burden of keeping both

his family’s legacy and that of the community alive.

With so few Jews left here, it’s hard to ignore the very real

possibility that the Myanmar branch of Judaism may soon

die out. Samuels dismisses the notion. “I’m not worried

about the future of the Burmese Jews. Me? I’m not going

anywhere,” he says. “My life is right here. The times are

changing in our country and I think the Burmese Jews will

return home soon.” However, Sammy is not so optimistic.

“I hope the Burmese Jews come home,” he says, “but I

don’t think this will happen.” Myanmar’s fi rst recorded Jew

was Solomon Gabirol, a commander who served in King

Alaungpaya’s army in the 18th century. It is conceivable that

when Sammy returns to Yangon for good, he may be its last.

This community that once numbered over 2,100 in Yangon alone is now teetering on the brink of extinction

Inside the Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue

07 mei xinFah Th ai

63


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The last Jews of Burma · FT_Thai Burma_subbed Pete_PP.indd 61 4/19/11 7:25 PM. friends who are Muslim, Buddhist and Christian. They all come to celebrate and eat with us.” One