Story behind RI's sole synagogue

Story behind RI's sole synagogue

Wahyuni Kamah, Contributor, Surabaya

The white Dutch-style building's architecture is simple and
classical. Except for the mezuzah at its entrance and two Star of
David carvings on the teakwood door, nobody would know that it is
a synagogue. In fact, it is the only synagogue in the country.

Located on Jl. Kayun 6, Surabaya, it covers a 2,000-square-
meter lot and is located near the Kali Mas river. This small
synagogue also serves as the residence of Rivka Sayers, a Jewish
woman who has lived in the city since 1970.

Unlike any other synagogue, this one does not have Torah,
rabbi or teacher. There are also not enough people to make a
minyan (a quorum to conduct a Jewish public worship). Therefore,
real rituals are rarely performed here.

"Only three families are regular visitors to this synagogue,"
Sayers said softly and politely.

"They are people who are half Indonesian half European or half
Chinese half European. They usually come on Jewish holidays like
the Sabbath, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah or Passover. Sometimes we
also have dinner here."

Sayers is only one of 20 known Jews living in Indonesia. Some
of them live in Jakarta and the others in Surabaya.

The small community of Jews in Surabaya bought the house from
a Dutch doctor. In 1948, the house was turned into a synagogue.

The synagogue's interior is plain with no decorations on the
walls. Only a few rows of benches are available. On the right,
inside the synagogue is a large room where a dining table for 20
can be used for dinner.

Though Sayers takes care of the synagogue by herself, she
often pays people to clean the house.

Being a Jewish person in a Muslim-dominated country does not
make Sayers feel alienated from the neighborhood, which is
dominated by people of Arabic descent.

"They are good friends," she said of her relationship with her
Muslim neighbors.

Sayers does not have any problems remaining kosher (clean and
legitimate according to Jewish law) since many products in the
market are halal (permitted under Muslim law). They are made in
accordance to Muslim law that bans pork or pork-derived products.

Being an Iraqi-Jew, the 59-year-old woman gives private
lessons in Hebrew language and sometimes she gets donations from
synagogue visitors. She, however, does not get regular financial
support from Western Jews. Nonetheless, she is proud of being a
Jew.

During the New Order regime, the government of Indonesia only
recognized five religions and Judaism was not one of them.

The history of the Jewish community in Indonesia cannot be
separated from the Dutch colonial government.

In the 1850s, there were at least 20 Jewish families of Dutch
and German origin living in Jakarta and other parts of the
country. In the 1930s, Jews fleeing the rise of Nazism across
Europe also found sanctuary in Indonesia.

According to a database of Jewish Communities, in 1939 there
were 2,000 Dutch-Jewish inhabitants and a number of stateless
Jews who underwent trials during the Japanese occupation. The
Dutch Jews suffered greatly during the Japanese occupation. After
World War II, and later upon Indonesia's independence, nearly all
Jews left the country.

Sayers' husband, just like other Jews, also had to spend the
war years in a Japanese prison camp. Later, he left for Israel
upon his release. He returned to Indonesia to rejoin his father
who had stayed to run the family's lumber business.

Although there is only one synagogue in the country, there are
a few Jewish cemeteries scattered around the country; in
Semarang, in Pangkalpinang, Bangka Island, South Sumatra and in
Surabaya.