Early years The first synagogue was built in the 1850s for the increasing numbers of Baghdadi Jews from the Middle East, and
Bene Israel and
Cochini Jews from India arriving during
British rule in Burma. It was a wooden building in 1854. The plot of land was granted by the British Colonial Government. The current building was completed in 1896. A second synagogue, Beth El, was opened in 1932, reflecting the population growth. The Jewish community worked as merchants and traders, and also with the British colonial government. In 1940, before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Jewish community in Rangoon reached its peak of 2,500 persons. Many Jews fled to India due to the
Japanese occupation, as they were considered suspect as allies of the British. During
Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, the synagogue lost its roof and sustained water damage. In 2015, the current Jewish population of
Myanmar, including Yangon, was fewer than 19. Moses Samuels (), long the Trustee of the synagogue, died on May 29, 2015, in Yangon. Surviving him was his widow, Nelly (נלי); and his children Samuel "Sammy" (שמואל בן משה), Dina (דינה בת משה), and Kaznah (גזנה בת משה) Samuels. Sammy returned to Myanmar after studying at
Yeshiva University in New York for three years. While there, he promoted travel to Yangon. Since his return, he has established a travel agency and two hotels in the city. The synagogue is ranked as among the top ten attractions in the city by TripAdvisor. ==Gallery==