Menorah in the Musmeah Yeshua synagogue in Yangon, Myanmar

In honor of the last night of Hanukkah, a menorah found in the Musmeah Yeshua synagogue in Yangon. It is the only synagogue in Myanmar and was built in 1896 for the Baghdadi Jews, the Bene Israel Jews and the Cochini Jews from India that arrived during Burma’s colonial-era. It is listed on Yangon City Development Council’s list of Heritage Buildings.

I come from a diverse family of various cultures and religions, from all corners of the world. One of my paternal great-great grandfathers was a Jew from Baghdad, Iraq. This was his synagogue. He and his family were prominent members. He is buried in the Jewish cemetery in Yangon.