The history of Jews in Singapore begins in the second half of the XIX century, when the first Jewish settlers appeared in these lands, mainly from Central Asia. At present, their number is about a thousand people.
Chesed-El Synagogue (which translated means “Gift of God”) was opened in 1905, under the patronage of one of the wealthiest Jews of the Far East, the head of the Singapore community Menashe Meira. At that time it was only the second synagogue in the city. Its construction was driven by the growing number of Jews in Singapore — the community needed another place for meetings, since the first synagogue, Magen Avot, could no longer accommodate everyone. In addition, Jews from Asia and Europe, despite their shared faith, had some differences in rituals, and to avoid disagreements it was decided to separate them.
The building of Chesed-El Synagogue is a прекрасный example of Neo-Renaissance architecture. It was built by “Swan and MacLaren” – the largest construction company in Singapore at the beginning of the XX century. The interior is very beautiful: large columns, a marble floor, inscriptions in Hebrew…
According to some sources, Chesed-El is considered the first place in Singapore where gas lighting began to be used at the beginning of the XX century. Now, of course, the synagogue has electricity, but the gas tubes still remain as a beautiful reminder of the history of this place.
