Maghain Aboth Synagogue

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Sight Address : 24/26 Waterloo St, Singapore 187950, Singapore.Edit

Detail InformationEdit

The Maghain Aboth Synagogue is a synagogue in Singapore. It is located at Waterloo Street in the Rochor Planning Area, within the Central Area in Singapore’s central business district.Maghain Aboth Synagogue, which translates to “Shield of our Fathers”, was completed in 1878. Situated at Waterloo Street, it is the oldest synagogue in Singapore and Southeast Asia. On 27 February 1998, the synagogue was gazetted as a national monument.The synagogue was constructed by 1878. It is the oldest Jewish synagogue in Southeast Asia. Till today, there are still several Jewish buildings standing within its vicinity. Descendants of some of Singapore’s earliest Jewish settlers are still living and doing business in Singapore.

Maghain Aboth Synagogue

HistoryEdit

In 1841, three Jews — Joseph Dwek Cohen, Nassim Joseph Ezra and Ezra Ezekiel — were given a land lease to build a synagogue in Synagogue Street. The area is the earliest settled part of Singapore that today still has many of Singapore’s religious monuments and preservation buildings.Near Raffles Lane, Synagogue Street was in the first Jewish quarter in Singapore just off South Canal Road, as a synagogue by custom is supposed to be within an easy walking distance from home.When Manasseh Meyer returned to Singapore in 1873, he found the synagogue in Synagogue Street in a deplorable state and set about planning a new one for the Jewish community. Meyer asked the government for land for a new synagogue. He was given the site in Waterloo Street, then called Church Street because of the presence of the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul nearby. The Jewish community soon began moving into the surrounding areas of Dhoby Ghaut, Waterloo Street, Prinsep Street, Selegie Road and Wilkie Road. Today, there are still several Jewish buildings standing there.Construction of Maghain Aboth, which means Shield of Our Fathers, began soon after the community was given the land, and it was completed in 1878. A well was sunk for use as a mikvah (ritual bath). The consecration service was held on 4 April 1878 and conducted by either Lucunas or I.J. Hayeem or both men.In 1924, extensions were made to the building. Nevertheless, with the growth of the community, Maghain Aboth became rather crowded, prompting Manasseh Meyer to build a private synagogue for his family and friends.Manasseh Meyer used to pay religious elderly men to attend service with him to form the minyan.[citation needed],The Maghain Aboth Synagogue was gazetted as a national monument on 27 February 1998.

Must SeeEdit

Must see

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Best Season to VisitEdit

June to July and November to December.

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How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Taxis are generally very hard to get during peak hours (Mon-Fri 7:00am – 9:30am and Mon-Sat 5:00pm – 8:00pm) and on rainy days. If you are at a hotel, have conceirge call you a taxi. If you are out about town and have access to a cell phone- calling for a taxi will cut your wait time by 20 to 30 minutes. All taxis are fitted with meters; all are air conditioned; the majority of the taxis are 5-seaters; about 90% of taxis have radiophones; call booking is done via GPS or digital voice dispatch. All passengers must fasten their seat belts by law.
For taxi Booking fee is SGD $2.3. Minimum fare for taxi is SGD $3 for first 1Km. Fare above minimum fare until 10Km is SGD $0.55 per Km. Fare above 10Km is charge SGD $0.628 per Km. Taxi Waiting charges per hour is SGD $17.6. Peak Hours charges is diffrent.

Bus : Public buses run daily from 5.30am to midnight. Extended night services cost slightly more (a flat rate ranging from $1.50-$3.00). Otherwise, most fares depend on distance travelled and range from 67 cents to $1.58 for air-conditioned comfort (almost all public buses in Singapore have air-conditioning today). There are also “feeder” bus services that charge a flat rate of 67 cents. Each bus should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes to arrive at the bus stop.

Train : Singapore MRT system is very well connected to different parts of Singapore and very clean! If you have the time and plan to explore around little Sunny island, get the the Singapore Tourist Pass!
It runs 6am-12mn, fares start at S$1 (70cents in EZ link). Tickets can be purchased in all MRT stations. You just have to insert your money through the ticket machine. Rush hour’s usually 7am-9am, 11am-2pm and 4pm-7pm.

Air : Changi Airport is the country’s main airport. From the airport there are a number of ways to get into the city:
Taxi is easiest – simply follow the signs after clearing customs. Meters are always used in Singapore and prices are reasonable. A trip to the city during the day will be between $20-$30 including $3-5 airport surcharge. An additional 50% surcharge applies between midnight and 06:00.
Limousines charge a flat $50 to anywhere in the city and are a pretty good deal after midnight, as you can skip the queue and avoid the surcharge. The same pricing applies to chartering van-sized MaxiCabs, which are good for large families or if you have lots of baggage.
Shuttle – Shared six-seater MaxiCab shuttle service to designated areas/hotels costs $7 and can be booked in advance or in the arrivals hall. 6AM-2AM, every 15-30 min.
Subway – MRT trains run from a station between T2 and T3, but you’ll need to change trains at Tanah Merah to a city-bound train: just exit through the left hand side door and cross the platform. The 30 min ride to City Hall station costs $1.90 plus a refundable $1 deposit, and trains run 05:31-23:18.
Bus – Bus terminals can be found in the basements of T1, T2 and T3. 06:00-23:59 only. Fares are less than $2.00, exact fare required (no change given) if you pay cash.

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