Magen David Synagogue

Magen David Synagogue is an active Sephardi synagogue located on Sir J.J. Road in Byculla, Mumbai. Built in 1864 by David Sassoon for the Baghdadi Jewish community, it features Victorian and Neoclassical architecture with a distinctive blue facade and clock tower. Extended in 1910 and restored in 2011, it is considered one of the largest synagogues in Asia outside Israel. The compound also houses two historic schools originally established for Jewish children.

Visitors can expect to see a bright blue neo-classical facade with a prominent clock tower and Hebrew inscriptions. The interior features a double-height sanctuary with a women's gallery on three sides, decorative brass railings, and white fluorescent lighting against a blue-white backdrop. Access may require prior appointment as the synagogue is sometimes closed to casual visitors. Photography is permitted subject to a fee.

Constructed in 1864 by David Sassoon, a prominent Baghdadi Jew who settled in Bombay in 1832, the synagogue served the growing population of Iraqi Jews fleeing persecution under Dawud Pasha. It was the third synagogue in Mumbai after two Bene Israel synagogues and was extended in 1910 due to community growth. The building was extensively restored for its 150th anniversary in 2011.

The synagogue symbolizes religious tolerance and Mumbai's diverse cultural heritage, serving as a spiritual and social center for the Baghdadi Jewish community. Its adjacent schools, originally for Jewish children, now serve the local predominantly Muslim population, reflecting the area's demographic evolution and communal harmony.