Chesed-El Synagogue

The Chesed-El Synagogue is a synagogue in Singapore. The synagogue was constructed in 1905 and is located at Oxley Rise in the River Valley Planning Area, within the Central Area of Singapore.

Chesed-El Synagogue
Religion
AffiliationSephardic Judaism
LeadershipRabbi Nissim Zawady
StatusActive
Location
LocationSingapore
Geographic coordinates1°17′50″N 103°50′33.2″E
Architecture
TypeSynagogue
StyleRenaissance Revival
Completed1905
Designated as NHL
Designated18 December 1998
Reference no.38
Website
http://www.chesedel.org

As the Jewish community grew beyond the capacity of the Maghain Aboth Synagogue, there was a need for this second place of worship, which was built in the late-Renaissance style. It was also one of the first places to use gaslights in Singapore.

On 18 December 1998, it was gazetted as a national monument of Singapore.

History

As the Jewish community in Singapore continued to grow, the Maghain Aboth Synagogue that was opened for use in 1878 frequently became rather crowded. By 1902, some felt the need for another synagogue. The Jewish community grew to consists of Jews from Europe as well as from Asia and with different religious backgrounds, it led to disagreements over the order of service and specific rituals.

Manasseh Meyer sought to resolve this issue and built his own private synagogue near his home in Oxley Rise. The synagogue was completed in 1905 and was named Chesed-El which means "Grace of God"[1]

The Chesed-El Synagogue was gazetted as a national monument on 18 December 1998.[2]

The synagogue underwent an extensive renovation in 2016 with the support of the National Heritage Board (NHB) of Singapore.[3]

An annex Jewish Community Centre is currently being built on the Synagogue grounds, where the communal Sukkah used to stand.

In 2019, the synagogue received its fourth grant from the restoration fund of the NHB for restoration and maintenance of the building.[3]

Architecture

Built in the late Renaissance style, Chesed-El Synagogue was the work of Swan and MacLaren, the largest architectural firm in Singapore at that time.

Features
  • Flat-sided pillars resting on rectangular bases run along the sides of the building. They are aligned with the second-storey pilasters that curve out into arches round the windows.
  • The entrance to the synagogue is covered by a projecting carriage porch. Above this porch is the second-storey gallery deck that extends from the women's gallery. The ceiling is made of wooden slats and the crossbeams create a coffered effect.
  • The gallery deck extends beyond the entranceway into the hall, creating a small upper floor for the use of the women in the house. Separate entrances lead to the women's upper gallery.
  • The synagogue was one of the first places to use gaslights in Singapore. The original lights have since been replaced by electric lights. The metal gas pipes are still in the prayer hall beneath the roof.
  • The interior columns are fluted and intersected with two sets of moulding. They have square moulded capitals and are joined with arches at the top. They rest on flat-sided bases.
  • Moulding and small pilasters edge the walls above the arched columns. They can be seen above the railing along the second-storey gallery deck where the women sit.
  • The initial "M" for Meyer can be seen in the decorative moulding just below the ceiling and in two panels facing the congregation.
  • To the right of the entrance is a plaque stating that the synagogue was built by Manasseh Meyer and the designer of the building.
  • The floor is of white marble. The original combination of white marble with a gold trim that no longer exists once gave the interior an understated richness.
  • The raised platform or bimah leading to the Ark where the scrolls of the Torah are kept was originally of marble. It was destroyed during the Japanese Occupation. It is now made of wood. The panels of the raised platform are ornamented with the Star of David as are many other parts of the synagogue.
  • There are three entrances to the Ark where the scrolls of the Torah are stored in special holders. The scrolls are handwritten on a single continuous piece of parchment.
  • The Hebrew inscription above the Ark says: "Lo, in Thine abundant love I enter Thy house; in reverence to Thee I bow towards Thy holy temple." There are also other panels in the synagogue that originally had inscriptions in Hebrew.
  • Manasseh Meyer has a special chairman set out in the front of the congregation. The place of honour is close to the Ark.
  • The wooden windows are double-leafed and topped with round and half-moon fanlights edged out in wood. There are air vents running just above the ground.
  • Some of the windows on the upper floors above the entrance and inside are rectangular with wooden louvres.

See also

References
  1. Wan, Meng Hao (2009). Heritage places of Singapore. Jacqueline Lau. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. p. 130. ISBN 978-981-261-858-0. OCLC 711783345.
  2. Melody Zaccheus (21 October 2014). "Sri Thendayuthapani Temple joins 66 others on list of Singapore's national monuments". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021.
  3. "15 NATIONAL MONUMENTS TO RECEIVE FUNDING AS PART OF NATIONAL MONUMENTS FUND 2019" (PDF).
  • Lee Geok Boi (2004), The Religious Monuments of Singapore, Landmark Books, ISBN 981-3065-62-1
  • Preservation of Monuments Board, Know Our Monuments
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