International Association of Jewish
Genealogical Societies - Cemetery Project
MYANMAR
(Formerly, and also known as, BURMA)
The British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (website at:
http://www.bacsa.org.uk July 2008)
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
http://www.sochaczewski.com/ARTrangoonsynagogue.html
http://www.haruth.com/JewsBurma.html [September 2002]
http://www.edwardvictor.com/myanmar_main.htm [PHOTOS - September 2002]
THE LAST JEWS IN INDIA AND BURMA by Nathan Katz and Ellen S. Goldberg (1988). http://www.jcpa.org/jl/jl101.htm [September 2002]
Jewish population is about 20 in 2001. By legend, these Jews
are descendants of the tribe of Menasha. "Jews from Iraq and elsewhere in the
Middle East first settled in Yangon (Rangoon) early in the 18th century and
established a Sephardi community there. In 1896, they erected the Musameah
Yeshua Synagogue on land donated by the government. By the outbreak of World War
II, there were over 2,000 Jews in the country. The great majority fled in
advance of the Japanese assault and were evacuated to Britain, India and a
number of other countries. Only a small number returned after the country was
liberated. Over the years, due to emigration and assimilation, the remaining
Jewish population dwindled, and today the community is on the verge of
extinction." Click on Burma (Myanmar) at
http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/comm_asia.html
[August 2005]
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-19AD-7DFC0E1-3A10AD00-prod4: Burma's Small Jewish Community in 2000 [September 2002]
"Moses Samuel, the custodian of Myanmar's only synagogue, and one of
only 20 Jews left in what was formerly called Burma, intends to remain in the
country and keep the job he inherited from his father. The Jews of
Myanmar--who before World War II numbered more than 2,500--are descendants of
19th-century immigrants from Iraq, Europe, and India who arrived either with
the British colonial army, or as teak, rice, or cotton traders." Source:
Dateline World Jewry, July 2001.
THE CEMETERIES
RANGOON: see YANGON
YANGON:
Previously known as Rangoon
Musmeah Yeshua Synagogue, 85, 26th Street, Yangon, Tel. 951 75062
"Nearly 700 Jewish tombs are in the palm
tree-lined cemetery, the oldest dating from 1876,
and the most recent 1985. Many are crumbling as
Moses Samuels, the trustee of the only
synagogue in Burma, struggles with limited
funds to maintain the molding tombs against the
tropical climate.
Only eight Jewish families remain in Burma. At
its peak, the community had 3,000 people,
mostly of Persian, Indian and British origin.
Most of Burma's Jews fled before the Japanese
invasion of World War II, and as Gen. Ne
Win nationalized private business during 26
years of socialist isolationism from 1962-88
source:
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/reg.burma/archives/199702/msg00058.html
http://www.americansephardifederation.org/sub/library/genealogy.asp
All individuals involved in the creation of this project are volunteers.
The right to make one copy for personal use with full citation is hereby granted;
however, no profit is to be made from the use of this website's information.
No reply will be made to inquiries about specific burials. All information that we possess is on the website. We have no other information so please do not write requesting any on either burial sites or individual burials.
- Cemetery:
The oldest tombstone dates from 1876 when "Jewish merchants and teak, cotton, and rice" were pouring in. The last stone dates from 1985. Source:
http://www.planetbahai.org/resources/news/news0702/renews072302a.html (no longer
available) [August 2003]
All individuals involved in the creation of this project are volunteers.
The right to make one copy for personal use with full citation is hereby granted;
however, no profit is to be made from the use of this website's information.
No reply will be made to inquiries about specific burials. All information that we possess is on the website. We have no other information so please do not write requesting any on either burial sites or individual burials.
Revised Tuesday, July 01, 2008 08:03:37