Journal of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
No.16, Spring  2008


 

Zvi Gabay, Former Ambassador and Deputy Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem

BAGHDADI JEWS IN BRITISH BURMA

 

 

The audience in the study evening

 

Almost Englishmen, Baghdadi Jews in British Burma

By Ruth Fredman Cernea, Lexington Books, 2007

While I was reading the book Almost Englishmen, I was reminded of my visit in June 2002, as Deputy Director General, to the "Musmeah Yeshua" Synagogue in Yangon, to which I was accompanied by our then Ambassador to Myanmar, Mr. Yaacov Abrahami.

The Synagogue is of medium size and beautifully decorated.  It left a great impression on me and as I walked through it, many questions came to mind: why did the Iraqi Jews come to live in Burma in the 18th century; how did they survive, as Jews, in the Asiatic environment; how did they manage to build such an incredibly beautiful synagogue; how did they prosper and why only a very small number (20 persons) remained?

One can find answers to these questions and many more in Almost Englishmen. This is a well written and documented book.  Dr. Ruth Cernea describes in detail the history of the first Baghdadi Jews, who arrived in Burma and analyzes the effect of English culture and way of life on them. In general, English influence was very eloquent on Iraqi Jews living in the Diaspora and in particular, as is illustrated in this book, on the Jews who came to Burma. Very quickly they learned to speak English and adopt English manners.  Dr. Cernea notes that for the Baghdadi Jews "the British and Jewish dimensions of identity were all that mattered" (p.39); the Burmese culture and way of life "was irrelevant to the realization of who they were and who they could be". This explains why they did not assimilate into local Burmese society; nevertheless, as illustrated in the book, the Jews living in Burma enjoyed a very hospitable Asiatic environment.

The few Jews who came to Burma along with the British Army attracted more Jews – probably friends and family – to follow them and settle in Burma.  By the time World War II broke out the Jewish community in Burma reached its peak – about 2500 people (this also included 32 Jewish refugees from Poland).  However, when the hostilities began and Burma became a battlefield between the Japanese and British armies, many Jewish families left for Calcutta, India. A few of them returned when the war ended.

The second migration of Jews from Burma occurred in the 1960's due to political changes now in effect, which transformed "Burma" into "the Union of Myanmar". "Xenophobia was the order of the day" (p.127), and Jews like other foreigners found it difficult to live under the strict regime of the then new ruler of Burma – General Ne Win. The beautiful "Musmeah Yeshua" Synagogue was directly affected, when the Jewish stores near the Synagogue, whose rent provided an income for the maintenance of the Synagogue, were nationalized. Thus, in the 1960's, Burma was loosing its appeal for the Jewish Community.

Dr. Cernea describes with great detail the life of the Jewish Community in Burma.  One who visits the now empty Synagogue can feel the echoes of the many events that took place there, when the Community was at its peak. The Synagogue was the center for all congregational activities; the Jewish holidays, the weddings and Bar/Bat Mitsvah ceremonies. Today, the remaining Jewish Community in Yangoon under the leadership of Mr. Moses Samuels is undertaking the noble task of preserving the Jewish heritage with great difficulty.  Today, the Synagogue is in a sad state.

An interesting point to be borne in mind is why was there only one synagogue, when there was also a Bene Israel community in Burma?  In the book, Dr. Cernea, surveys the challenges of the Jewish Community living together with the Bene Israel community.  Challenges that were even brought before the High Court of Judicature of Rangoon in 1935-1936 (see Appendix A – p.139).

In Almost Englishmen, there is a detailed history of the Burmese Jewish community.  For me personally, as an Israeli Diplomat, I was particularly intrigued by the chapter that describes Israel – Burma relations and the effect it had on the Jewish Community.  In the 1950's, Israel was a trustworthy friend for Burma, who assisted Burma in the development of its technology, medicine and agriculture.  The close relations and cooperation between Israel and Burma enabled Israel to have a friend and very important ally in Asia, in spite of the fact that at the time the two Asiatic giants – India and China – refused to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. It was a very hopeful period for both countries; however this promising period, unfortunately, did not last long, due to the change of regime in Burma/Myanmar.

Today, there is an Israeli Embassy in Yangon and Burma/Myanmar Embassy in Tel-Aviv, but between the two countries there is no substantive cooperation and collaboration, as there was in the 1950s and early 1960s.  

In the last chapter of the book entitled "Embers" (p.137), Dr. Cernea correctly notes that "no matter where the Jews from Burma and their descendants now live, the Burmese days form the backgrounds of their lives". Many of them reside in Israel, USA, England and Australia. Amongst the Burmese Jews, some reached great prominence; such as the late economist Mr. Ezra Solomon who served as an advisor to President Nixon and his cousin Dr. Abraham D. Sofaer, who is now the George P. Shultz Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution.

The Synagogue "Musmeah Yeshua" will always serve as an important landmark of the Jewish history in Burma and reminder of the very vibrant and lively community that once lived in Burma.  The book includes very useful appendices, including one on the Jewish Community of Burma 1959 and its descendants in Burma, circa 1986.

Almost Englishmen should be translated into Hebrew, so Israelis will be able to learn about yet another great small Jewish Community in Asia - The Jewish community of Burma - that Dr. Cernea so eloquently documents.