Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – Heritage society Sjarikat Poesaka Soerabaja has filed a complaint to the Surabaya municipal administration for allowing the demolition of a Jewish synagogue on Jl. Kayoon, Surabaya, East Java, as the 900 square-meter building may have been a historical structure.
The group, however, has yet to receive any response from the administration, according to Sjarikat Poesaka Soerabaja chairman Freddy Istanto, on Monday.
"The synagogue had historical value for the people of Surabaya," said Freddy, saying there was a Jewish man named Charles Mussry, who joined the Surabayan people to fight for Indonesia's independence against the Dutch in a battle on Nov. 10, 1945.
The synagogue was initially a private residence with a European architecture and resided in by a Jewish doctor. Jewish people from Iraq and Yemen reportedly came to Surabaya in the 19th century to work for Dutch companies.
After the Dutch colonial administration acknowledged Judaism in 1939, the house was turned into a synagogue. It gained fame after the issuance of a decree by the Agrarian Ministry in 1961 that equated Judaism with other religions in the country.
Traces of Judaism in Surabaya can also be seen from the Jewish cemetery in Kembang Kuning Surabaya, where the same Star of David symbol as the one on the synagogue fence can be found.
Later on, as anti-Jew sentiment grew, the Jewish community in the city decreased. Before being demolished, the synagogue was only used by some 10 worshipers. Previously, the synagogue was maintained by Jewish descendent Rifka Shayes and later by a descendant of a Myanmarese Jew who married a local woman.
Freddy also said despite being the target of anti-Israeli rallies, the building had been on the Surabaya administration's list of alleged cultural heritage buildings according to a decree issued by the municipal culture and tourism agency dated April 16, 2009.
Surabaya Culture and Tourism Agency head Wiwiek Widayati said the synagogue was among 69 other buildings to be declared as cultural heritage buildings. "We will continue the research on the synagogue but I will not comment on its status after the demolition," Wiwiek said.
Rumors circulating say the heirs of the owner of the synagogue sold the building to a property businessman in Surabaya. However, no statements regarding the demolition have been made by both the family of the heirs nor by the Jewish community in Surabaya.