The Republic of Singapore, a city-state in Southeast Asia, is a crossroads for some international trade routes and has become the hub for IT, banking, and mercantile activities. Singapore is home to approximately 2,500 Jews, many of whom are expats from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco, Belgium, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Israel.
The Singapore affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Jewish Welfare Board of Singapore.
A Jewish community has existed in Singapore for more than 150 years. The first Jews to settle there were of Baghdadi origin, predominately from India, who migrated to Singapore in 1840. The Sassoons, a prominent Sephardic family, were among the first settlers to establish business interests. In 1840, after the Sultan relinquished ownership of Singapore to England in 1824, the Jewish community was large enough to build a synagogue on what is still known today as “Synagogue Street” (located in the Financial District), seating 40 people. Within 30 years, the community had grown significantly, necessitating the building of a larger synagogue. In 1878, the Maghain Aboth Synagogue was consecrated and possessed a number of Baghdadi Torah scrolls in beaten silver cases. The synagogue, which still counts both Sephardim and Ashkenazim among its members today, is now the oldest in East Asia.
In 1905, as the community grew, Sir Manasseh Meyer built his own synagogue, Chesed El, on his private estate. His son, Reuben, also dedicated a community center in his name. To ensure that there would always be a quorum of ten Jewish men, which is the legal requirement for a minyan, Manasseh Meyer employed “Minyan Men," but in 1920, the men went on strike, demanding higher wages.
While the community remained largely Sephardi, Ashkenazi immigrants from England, the Netherlands, China, Russia, and Germany settled there. The 1931 census recorded that 832 Jews, as well as a substantial number of Arab residents, were the largest house property owners; there were approximately 1,500 Jews living in the city at that time.
The early 1960s witnessed the inception of increasing trade relations between Singapore and Israel, sparking a rise of wealth and influence in the Jewish community. Jews have taken a considerable part in the political life of the country: in 1955 David S. Marshall, a Jew of Iraqi origin, became the first chief minister of the Republic, while Dr. Yayah Cohen became the Surgeon General. In 1968, the two countries signed a trade agreement, and Israel opened a trade mission in Singapore.
On the eve of World War II, there were 5,000 Jews in Singapore, and many were interned during the Japanese occupation, which was part of the Axis Powers during the war. Jews were mandated to wear armbands and medallions with the word “Jews” inscribed on them; the men were forced to till the fields. After liberation, many Jews emigrated to countries such as Australia, England, Israel, and the United States. By the 1960s, the community was reduced to a population size of 450 people.
The Jewish Welfare Board of Singapore estimates that as of 2024, the Singaporean community is home to approximately 2,500 Jewish residents, mainly expatriates from Israel, America, Australia, and Europe.
The Jewish community in Singapore is represented by the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB), a non-profit organization created after the Holocaust. The Board offers various resources for the Jewish community, including but not limited to mikvehs for both men and women, the Abdullah Shooker Home for the elderly, and the Voronezh Jewish Center, which prides itself on being a focus of cultural life that hosts a Hebrew school, an auditorium, and a library.
Religious life at the Maghain Aboth and Chesed-El Synagogues is active, with daily services, adult education, and other community activities. A progressive Ashkenazi congregation, the United Hebrew Congregation of Singapore, holds services once a month on Friday nights but does not have its own building. There is one officiating rabbi and a Sunday school for children. There is also a mikvah and a Jewish cemetery.
Awafi, Singapore’s first kosher restaurant, offers a variety of ethnic dishes to its guests. There is also a kosher supermarket with a website for convenient online shopping.
There are a few Jewish educational opportunities offered in Singapore:
Ganenu is a Jewish preschool for children aged 14 months to four years. For grades kindergarten through seventh grades, the Jewish Learning Academy of Singapore offers a Sunday school program, offering basic education in Torah, the Hebrew language, Jewish history and religious observances.
In 1996, the Sir Manasseh Meyer International School (SMMIS) was established for children ranging in age from 18 months to 16 years. SMMIS provides a high academic standard of Judaic studies that aims to nurture a strong sense of Jewish values and identity.
The Yeshiva Youth Leadership Program is a community outreach group that organizes activities, holds study sessions, and assembles social events for the greater community. Additionally, the Jewish Welfare Board offers various Jewish youth activities designed to provide an opportunity to establish friendships with youth from different backgrounds as well as stimulate their intellectual, ethical, and social development.
The Jewish Welfare Board publishes a monthly newsletter called L'Chaim, and the Progressive Congregation publishes their monthly newsletter, titled Singapore Shofar. The Board also runs the Genizah Project. Led by Israeli scholar Mordy Miller, the project is a collaborative effort to gather, find, and catalog religious books and texts brought by the first generations of Jews to Singapore. To date, Miller and his team have gathered approximately 700 books, including prayer books for holidays and high holidays, poetry and songbooks, Halachic books, and many Kabbalah books, such as the Zohar. At the moment, the earliest books found in the collection date back to 1833 from Italy, printed by the Eliezer Menachem Ottolenghi printing house.
The Jewish Board of Singapore proudly operates The Jews of Singapore Museum, educating visitors on the profound influence that Singaporean Jews have had on the historical development of the nation. For those who cannot visit the museum in person, there is a virtual exhibit as well.
Since May 1969, Israel and Singapore have maintained full diplomatic relations. Over the years, Israeli experts have extended technical aid to Singapore, and a number of mutual visits have been made by ministers, public figures, and senior officials. In 1997, the Singapore-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (SIIRD) was established to promote, facilitate, and support joint industrial projects between Singaporean and Israeli high-tech companies.
The two cooperating government agencies responsible for the research and development support fund are the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore and the Office of the Chief Scientists (OCS) of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Israel.
In April 2016, Lee Hsien Loong became the first Singaporean prime minister to visit Israel, and while speaking at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Loong urged the Israelis and Palestinians to unite and forge a lasting peace agreement through direct negotiations.
Embassy of Israel:
58 Dalvey Road
Singapore 259463
Telephone: +65 235 0966
