Dawn.com: Peerzada Salman –
KARACHI: The Jewish community was once an integral component of Karachi and played an important role in the city’s development. If its synagogue had not been destroyed, our younger generation could have learnt a lot from their history and the region’s multicultural past.
This was said by scholar Gul Hasan Kalmatti while reading out his insightful paper at the second session of the first two-day International Conference on Karachi at the Arts Council’s auditorium on Saturday.
Mr Kalmatti’s paper was titled Karachi Ke Yahudi. He said as British rule took root in Karachi, quite a few communities (Goan Christians, Parsis and Jews) migrated to the city.
The Jewish community mostly came from Maharashtra. The first place of worship that they built in Karachi was in 1893 near Ranchhor Line (where today a building Madiha Plaza stands). A senior member of the Jewish community, Solomon David, was instrumental in setting up the synagogue called Magan Shalome. He was a respected figure who held important positions, including some in the municipality. The synagogue was the centre of the community’s socio-cultural activities.
