THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 24, 1965-55
The Singapore Jewish Community in Malaysia
By MAX AWNER
(Copyright, 1965, JTA, Inc.)
SINGAPORE, Malaysia — The
news about the Singapore Jewish
community is that it exists.
How much longer it will do so
is problematical. Rabbi Jacob Sha-
babo, white-bearded spiritual lead-
er of Maghain Aboth Synagogue
(the "Maghain" corresponds to the
Anglicized "Mogen"), which sits
in somewhat sullied splendor in
the midst of the Chinese quarter,
gives it ten years. Other elders of
the congregation give it a little
more, some a little less.
The Jewish community of Singa-
pore numbered in the thousands in
1948, during the heyday of Brit-
ish rule. Rabbi Shababo estimates
there were 3,000 Jews here, most
of them descendants of a small
group that migrated from Baghdad
almost a century ago, but also a
few families of European origin.
SINCERE
NEW YEAR WISHES
A & J MARKET
10226 DEXTER
TO 3-3453
New Year Greetings
from Roy
CHICKEN
SUPREME
25603 Coolidge, Oak Park
LI 1-6165
New Year Greetings to All
Our Friends and Patrons
Mike Agosta
Cement Contractor
Cement Work of All Kinds
11735
Engleside LA 6-2595
Then, in 1959, the British gave
up their crown colony, and the
Singapore government passed into
Malayan—meaning mostly Moslem
—hands. Most of the Jews feared
for their welfare and their exist-
ence, and the exodus began.
Today, Rabbi Shababo says, no
more than 500 Jews remain, only
two European families among
them. The rest have emigrated to
Australia, the U.S., England, Israel.
More are leaving every month.
Yet this handful of Jews still
maintains two synagogues—both
strongly Sephardic in makeup—
and goes through the motions of
keeping up a meaningful Jewish
life and tradition. Where once
there was a fairly well-defined
Jewish "quarter" in the city,
Jews are now scattered among
the predominantly Chinese pop-
ulation. Rabbi Shababo is uncer-
tain whether this is a curse or
a blessing. He discerns no dif-
ference between the Chinese and
the minority Malayans and even
smaller minority of Indians in
their attitudes toward Jews. One
elderly but very articulate man
with whom I talked outside the
synagogue went so far as to say
that conditions for Jews in Sing-
apore were "no different from
most other countries," but he
conceded that Singapore's Jews
have a more limited future than
those in, say, the U.S. or Eng-
land.
Actually, Rabbi Shababo con-
cedes—all the others with whom
I talked agreed—there has been
little or no overt hostility toward
Jews on the part of either the
government or private citizens.
The Jewish community is simply
ignored. Still, hardly anyone feels
there is any future for Singapore's
Jews. They have lost the will to
create a viable, vital Jewish life.
Most of the youth has drifted away
from the synagogue, leaving it an
"old" place both literally and fig-
uratively.
I interviewed Rabbi Shababo on
Holiday Good Wishes
DEARBORN BEER DISTRIBUTORS
Carling's Black Label Beer—
Red Cap Ale — O'Keefe Beer and Ale
6031 Joy Road
Detroit, Michigan 48204
TE 4-7170
New Year Greetings
FREEDLAND STRUCTURAL STEEL CO.
12010 Farmington Rd., Livonia,
425-8100
Happy New Year
Goldfarb Bonding Agency
Charles Goldfarb
Bonds for All Courts—Surety Bonds—General Insurance
1317 BEAUB1EN
WO 1-4645
Heartiest wishes for a
Wappy new gear
To All Our Employes, Their Families
And Our Customers
May The Coming Year See the
Consumation of Everlasting
World-Wide Peace.
Holiday Greetings
the bimah of his synagogue, where
I found him, at 4:45, studying
BELCREST
while he awaited the 5:35 start of
HOTEL
mincha services. He is stooped and
somewhat unsteady, and appears
831 5700
5440 Coss
older than his professed '72 years.
But he maintains his rabbinical
dignity, and his full white beard
and flowing talis give him a patri-
New Year Greetings
archal appearance. He told me
From
something of his own history. He
was born in Safed, Israel, served
BESSENGER'S
in several pulpits there, and in
1948 became chief rabbi of Port
A Happy New Year
23535 Woodward, Ferndale
Said, Egypt. At the outbreak of
Northland Center, Southfield
the Arab-Israel War he tried to
burn all his documents to prevent
them from falling into Egyptian
15421 W. 7 Mile at Greenfield
hands. Someone saw the smoke,
BR 3-8913
reported him to the authorities,
Holiday Good Cheer
and he was arrested.
COCOANUT
Though he w a s tortured, he
managed to survive, and with his
GROVE CAFE
wife and four children found his
Specializing in Cantonese Food
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Take Out Service
way to Singapore, at Passover
7638 Woodward TR 5 3191
time in 1948.
1 Bleck from New Center Bldg.
NATIONAL COAL
The rabbi could recall only two
& OIL CO.
incidents suggesting anti-Semitism
during his 16 years in Singapore.
9141 Monica
WE 3-4444
One day, he arrived at the syna-
New Year Greetings
gogue in a taxi (he does not own a
car) in a heavy rain. The synagogue
DETROIT
is set some distance back from the
New Year Greetings
street and is approached by a semi-
RENDERING CO.
Sol's Delicatessen
circular driveway. On this day a
First We Render Service
Restaurant
private car was blocking the en-
2500-22nd St.
TA 6 4500
Specializing in Tray Catering
trance to the driveway. Not wish-
We Deliver — DI 1-2553
ing to walk in the rain, the Rabbi
Don't Say Delicatessen . . .
politely asked the driver, who was
Say SOL'S
in his parked car, if he would move
13616 W. Seven Mile Rd.
it so the taxi could drive up to
Near Schaefer
the synagogue entrance.
The response was a cursing re-
fusal, including repeated shouting
of the word "Yehudi" The rabbi
got wet.
At another time, about five years
ago, Rabbi Shababo was the Jew-
ish representative on a community
inter-religious committee each of
whose members was asked to write
an essay on his particular faith,
wrote and submitted his essay, but
for use in the schools. The rabbi
said it was never used and no ex-
planation was ever given for its
suppression.
stores for men and boys
On the other hand, the rabbi
remembers at least one instance
of positive "pro-Semitism." As
Holiday Greetings
an Orthodox Jew, he does not
take a taxi to the synagogue on
Friday nights, but instead uses
LIFE INSURANCE FOR ALL!
the curious bicycle-rickshas that
Louis C. Blant, President
abound in Singapore (as he ex-
Agnes Bristol, Secretary
plains it, though they are man-
8401 Woodward
872-7870
driven they involve no ignition
or other fire, and so are per-
mitted). One Friday evening, as
the rabbi was riding to the syna- *
Best Wishes For A Happy New Year
gogue in the sidecar of a rick-
To Our Friends, Patrons and Relatives
sha, a policeman stopped the *
driver and ordered him to turn
on his light as a safety measure.
Rabbi Shababo explained to the
officer that his religion pro-
hibited him from riding in a *In Sear's Livonia Mall, 2nd Floor, 7 Mile and Middlebelt
Call 476-60001
vehicle using lights. The police- !Nr**********************************************47;
man relented and sped the rick-
sha on its way—without lights.
The rabbi says he has toyed with
Holiday Good Cheer
the idea of going to Israel, but
there are many obstacles — chief
among which is that he is too old.
"They need young, vigorous peo-
ple in Israel. I would be useless.
UN 3-0100
So I'll probably die here."
But the rabbi's main fear is for
his son, a practicing accountant
who studied in London before re-
turning to Singapore. Though the
rabbi is a citizen of Singapore his
Wishing You A Happy New Year
son is technically a British subject,
and there are persistent rumors
that all Jewish non-citizens may be
ousted or otherwise harassed.
But though the rumors and the
fears and the resignation persist,
the Singapore Jewish community
and its two rather run-down but
still architecturally imposing syna-
gogues are trying their best to live
out their days in whatever peace
Greetings For The
and tranquility is granted to them.
-
Burton's Juvenile Shoes
-
-
-
FASHIONS
FOR
MEN
OF
ALL
AGES
Don't Forget
the
Blood
Bank
The Great Lakes Mutual Life Insurance Co.
*
*
*
13e/a &
NuclolpA's
Lyric Beauty Salon
MENJO'S - 928 West McNichols
New Year
Happy New Year to Our
Friends and Patrons
Central Overall Supply Co.
CONTINENTAL
HAIR FASHIONS
.
Detroit, Michigan
Mrs. Emma Schaver, President
19191 Livernois
UN 1-9100
• •
PIEDMONT JEWELRY and
APPLIANCE CO.
19147 Joy Road
10 Blocks West of Southfield
.1(