Jewish Cemetery in Malaysia

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As we know, Malaysia is one of the country that forbid the Israeli to visit their country. But none Israeli Jewish may enter Malaysia without any problem.

However, there is a old Jewish Cemetery in Penang, Malaysia located at Jalan Zainal Abidin. The oldest legible gravestone in the Jewish Cemetery is dated 1805 with the latest in 1976. The cemetery also includes the grave of a Jewish British officer killed during World War II.



In 1895, the first Jew, Ezekiel Menassah emigrated from Baghdad and settled in Penang, Malaysia. For more than 30 years, Menassah remained the only Jew in to the country, continuing to observe Jewish holidays and keep kashrut. Following World War I, more Jews began to settle in Malaysia. Then during World War II, the Jewish community was evacuated to Singapore. By 1963, only 20 Jewish families remained in Malaysia.