Sir Manasseh Meyer and Synagogues
An interesting and influential figure at the turn of the twentieth century was Sir Manasseh Meyer. An extremely wealthy Jew, probably the wealthiest in the Far East at the time, Sir Manasseh Meyer founded the Maghain Aboth Synagogue in response to finding the original synagogue in Synagogue Street in poor condition. Over the years, as Jewish immigration to Singapore increased, the Maghain Aboth Synagogue began to become overcrowded during services. Because of friction between the Sephardic and Ashenazi communities over how the services should be carried out, Sir Manasseh Meyer decided to build a new synagogue which was completed in 1905, The Chesed-El Synagogue. Both synagogues still stand today and have been gazetted as national monuments by the Singapore Government. The Maghain Aboth Synagogue is open throughout the year while Chesed El conducts Monday morning services and operates throughout the High Holidays.
Read more about this topic: History Of The Jews In Singapore
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