The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued ‘stop work’ notice to the Magen David Synagogue in Nagpada, Byculla, on May 20 following a formal complaint lodged by celebrity restaurateur Moshe Shek against the demolition of the iconic structure.
Celebrity chef and cultural heritage advocate Shek said he was shocked when he visited the synagogue on May 18 and saw labourers demolishing key elements of the structure. Shek asked the labourers who had ordered the work but got no answers. He then started filming the demolition — a move that provoked threats, he alleged.
Despite this, he managed to lodge a formal complaint with BMC, eliciting a prompt response on Tuesday. “What I saw was heart-breaking,” Shek told mid-day. “The pillars — that define the character of a structure like this — were gone. The exclusive gallery for women had been reduced to rubble. Even the watchman refused to respond. A woman supporting the alleged perpetrator of this so-called pre-restoration demolition tried to snatch my phone when she saw me filming,” he said.
When Shek visited the BMC to inquire whether permission had indeed been granted for the demolition, the response was an unequivocal no. He later took a BMC official to the site, who was also shocked to see the extent of the damage. It was confirmed that no approval had been granted for structural changes to the protected heritage site.
In a letter addressed to the municipal commissioner, Shek, a prominent member of Mumbai’s Jewish community, raised alarm about the illegal demolition as well as the unauthorised conversion of the adjacent school playground into a party venue. “These are my roots. This synagogue is my history — and my community’s. It must be saved,” Shek wrote in his letter.
“Heritage conservationists I consulted confirmed that this is a protected structure and altering it without proper authorisation is a clear violation,” Shek told mid-day. “This synagogue is not someone’s private property.
What is happening is not just illegal — it’s a robbery of Jewish cultural heritage in India,” Shek said. At one point, Shek was told that the activity was part of a renovation. But, the heritage architect named in that conversation later clarified via text to Shek that their firm was not involved. “We only made a preliminary proposal two years ago for fundraising. There has been no further discussion since,” the architect told Shek.
More on synagogue
The Magen David Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish place of worship and a listed heritage structure with the BMC, located in Byculla and built in 1864. It is the oldest Baghdadi Jewish synagogue in Mumbai. “Magen David” translates to “Shield of David.” Funded by Jewish tycoon David Sassoon, the synagogue began services in the 1860s when Byculla served as a retreat for Mumbai’s wealthy elite. Its architecture bears a Renaissance influence with classical motifs — reportedly inspired by St Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London.
Pic/X/@KobbiShoshani
Unlike most synagogues built in Middle Eastern styles, Magen David was constructed in the Victorian Gothic Revival style. Its high ceilings, stained-glass windows, teakwood interiors, and iconic sky-blue façade make it a standout structure in Mumbai’s dense urban landscape. Renovated in 2010 with support from an Israeli philanthropist, the synagogue features a prominent clock tower, brass lamps, tall columns, and an exclusive ladies’ gallery. Bharat Gothoskar, founder of Khaki Tours, which conducts Jewish heritage walks in Mumbai, said, “When I visited the synagogue a year ago, it was evident that it was in crying need of restoration — much like what was done at the Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue in Kala Ghoda.”
BMC Speak
BMC officials said they had visited the site and halted the demolition. An official from the BMC’s E Ward, which covers Byculla and Mazagaon, confirmed the development. “We received a complaint about the issue and a designated officer visited the spot. After assessment, the officer will submit a report about the incident and then we will take further action,” the official said.
Inputs by Sameer Surve
