IT PAYS
TO

cent, with a beautiful
soaring ceiling and
columns, intricately
carved central bimah
and, at the far end,
hekhal hekosh or the
Holy Ark, with two
Sifrei Torah in exqui-
site antique silver
cases. There used
to be 126 of them,
Sammy explained. All
were brought by vari-
ous donor families
over the years. When
families left Burma,
they took their
Torahs with them,
but two remain.

us were rows of neat
identical gray tomb-
stones. The cemetery
is severely overgrown.
There are more than
700 graves, we were
told, with the oldest
dating back to the
mid-19th century
when the Baghdadi
began arriving in
growing numbers. We
were able to locate
the tombstones of
two Samuels: Jack,
who died in 1954, and
Isaak, Sammy’s grand-
father, who was buried
there in 1978. We left
TOP: The Jewish Cemetery: In front are
a couple of stones
the rows of neat identical gray tomb-
on each. Cemeteries
JEWISH HERITAGE
stones. ABOVE: The Sofaer’s Building.
preserve memories
PATH IN YANGON
when all else is gone.
Yangon has the high-
Maybe, I thought, this
est number of the
is why we always leave stones there,
best-preserved colonial-era buildings
not flowers. Flowers will wither and
in all Southeast Asia. For us, one colo-
die, but the stones stay forever, like
nial-era structure in Yangon that best
memories in our hearts.
evoked both the imposing elegance of
Sammy’s father told him something
the old Rangoon and the importance of
the Baghdadi in the city’s economy: the that has been in his heart ever since.
As a true Baghdadi, Moses said: “The
four-story Sofaer’s Building that occu-
numbers do not matter. What does is
pies the entire block between the Low
the strength of your faith. If you have
Pansodan and 37th streets.
strong faith, you would feel the world.”
Its yellow Italianate-style façade is
On Rosh Hashanah and Chanukah,
richly decorated and boasts a recently
Sammy tells us, family, friends and
restored blue entrance to Sofaer &
neighbors of various faiths come to the
Co. In 1906, Isaak Sofaer, an architect
synagogue for the holiday feast and
by training and a member of one of
bring their national food as presents.
the most prominent Baghdadi fami-
Everybody, he says, loves his mother
lies in Burma, sketched the design of
Nelly’s potato pancakes.
this building and commissioned the
Sammy, his sisters, their mother
renowned architect Thomas Swales to
and Sammy’s beautiful wife, Zahava
construct it. No expense was spared.
Isfahani, a Baghdadi of Iranian descent,
In addition to their talents in com-
“feel very much to be Jews of Burma or
merce, the Baghdadi pioneered some-
Jewish Burmese,” he says.
thing else in Asia that never existed
“We love the country we were born
there before: philanthropy. Not many
in and grew up in. We love and respect
Yangon visitors admiring the Sofaer’s
Burmese culture and the kind hearts of
Building know that when it was com-
the Burmese people.”
pleted, the family donated beauti-
He is often asked “Why?” Why are
fully ornamented gates in front of the
Victoria Memorial Park and Zoological they staying in Yangon instead of,
say, making an aliyah to Israel? Few
Gardens that were formally opened by
families are not a community worth
the prince and princess of Wales.
dedicating your life to. But Sammy sees
beyond the numbers. Like his father
THE CEMETERY
taught him, he “feels the world.” And
Our Jewish heritage path brought us
for the benefit of that large world, he
to the Jewish Cemetery, a half hour’s
keeps the proud Baghdadi history alive.
walk northeast of the synagogue. We
The synagogue which he serves is once
climbed a set of broken steps leading
again sustaining the Jewish spirit. •
to the top of the brick wall. In front of

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September 6 • 2018

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