Tuesday 21 July 2026, 7:30 pm UK. Baghdadi Jews have shaped Singapore’s history since 1819, yet their stories often go untold. This talk highlights the lives of David Marshall, Singapore’s first Chief Minister and a champion of inclusive citizenship, and Felice Isaacs, a leading figure in Jewish communal life—both of whom survived Japanese internment and helped rebuild the city. Their resilience and leadership in politics, law, and communal work helped forge Singapore’s multicultural identity—a legacy that still resonates today.

Our speaker Geraldine Gudefin is a historian of modern Jewish life and a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies, National University of Singapore. Her current research focuses on Baghdadi Jewish family life in Asia (1880s–1950s). She is the co-creator of the mahallah.project Instagram page, a public initiative on Jewish histories in the city. Recording here.

The photo shows the Maghain Aboth synagogue, Singapore