History of the Jews in Malaysia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Malaysian Jews |
|---|
| Total population |
|
unknown |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca |
| Languages |
| English, Malay, Hebrew, Farsi, Arabic |
| Religion |
| Judaism |
The Malaysian Jews is a term used to refer to Jews living in Malaysia, or those originally from the country. They mainly live in the state of Penang, but they can also be found elsewhere in the nation, especially in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. The Malaysian Jews consist mainly of Oriental Jews (the majority of whom are Baghdadi Jews), with the rest being European Jews (Ashkenazi Jews) and possibly Chinese Jews, who fled from Kaifeng, China, who during the Communist take-over of mainland China from the Nationalist Chinese in 1949.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first contact between Jews and the inhabitants of Malaya (the term Malaysia has existed only since 1963) goes back to the 9th century A.D. on the riverbanks of the Bujang Valley, and later well into the 18th Century A.D. in the cosmopolitan bazaars of Malacca. [1]The first known Jew to settle in Malaya was Ezekiel Menasseh, who emigrated from Baghdad in 1895. Menasseh remained the only Jew in Malaya for 30 years, and he continued to observe Jewish holidays and kept up with kashrut. After World War I, more Jews began to settle in Malaya. During World War II, the Jewish community was evacuated to Singapore, fearing Japanese imprisonment and ill-treatment. By 1963, only 20 Jewish families remained in Malaya. Penang's only synagogue closed down in 1976 because the synagogue "could no longer muster the requisite ten men above the age of 12 needed to perform religious ceremonies." [2] Since then, many have gone abroad - either to look for better business opportunities or possibly out of fearing suppression, since that most Malaysian Muslims have sympathised with the Palestinians and demonised Israel.
[edit] Malaysian Jews today
Today, the number of Jews in Malaysia has dwindled to less than 10 ailing adults. Under the anti-Israeli policies pursued since 1970's, many Jews in Malaysia chose to migrate to other countries. The only street that bore witness to their existence: Jalan Yahudi (Jewish Street) in Penang was forced to adopt a Muslim-sounding name: Jalan Zainal Abidin. The descendants of Malaysian Jews are mainly seen in Singapore, they are also many of them in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States (especially in New York) but their numbers are unknown. Although Israelis are forbidden to enter Malaysia at present (other than if they're provided with special permit to enter Malaysia by the Malaysian government e.g. if it's a sports player playing for a sports event), Jews of other nationalities are welcome to enter the nation. Further details can be obtained from the APRICOT2001: KUALA LUMPUR website [3] or the Malaysia Airlines magazine.
The majority of Malaysian Jews speak Malay and English, whilst the rest speak mainly Yiddish, Persian, Hebrew and possibly Arabic.
[edit] Jewish Cemetery
The Jewish Cemetery in Penang is believed to be the oldest single Jewish cemetery in the country, if not in the entire region of southeast Asia. The oldest Jewish tombstone is dated 1835 (that of Ruchama wife of Shoshan Levi) and the most recent being 1978 (that of Harry Moses). It is the only cemetery established solely for the once small and thriving Jewish community in Peninsular Malaysia, although there may be a few Jewish graves in other non-Jewish cemeteries. The Jewish Cemetery is located in George Town at the formerly Jewish Street (Jalan Yahudi) - now Jalan Zainal Abidin. Jalan Zainal Abidin is located between Burma Road and MaCalister Road, a 10-minute walk from the towering Komtar (Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak).
The cemetery in Penang also has one of the largest number of Jewish graves interred in one specific area, numbering approximately 105, including that of Louis Victor Cohen, and Indian-born British officer killed during the Second World War. Five other "military" graves are reputed to contain the remains of six Jewish servicemen killed in action while fighting the Japanese in Malaya during World War II.
In the cemetery, a lot of those buried are of German and Austrian origin, which is visible on the tombs holding the names.
[edit] Notable Malaysian Jews
- Charles Ephraim - leader of the Jewish community in Penang, whose family sells wrist watches. [1]
- Ezekiel Menasseh - the oldest known Jewish resident in Penang.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.penangstory.net.my/docs/Abs-RaimyCheRoss.doc
- ^ George Town, Malaysia - SE Asia for Visitors
- ^ APRICOT2001 : KUALA LUMPUR
[edit] Literature
- Khoo Salma Nasution. More Than Merchants: A History of the German-speaking Community in Penang, 1800s-1940s. Areca Books. (2006). ISBN 978-9834283414 (pg. 33)
[edit] External links
The Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jewish Cemetery, Penang.- goasia.about.com
- kakiseni.com
- apricot.net
- [2]
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