Was Sri Lanka’s First Jewish Synagogue Really Built in Hiriketiya? The Chabad House Claim Explained

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A cluster of photographs, shared with the claim that Sri Lanka’s first-ever Jewish synagogue had opened for prayers in the southern village of Hiriketiya, spread quickly across Sri Lankan social media and fueled a wave of local protest. In a period of heightened sensitivity over Israeli tourism and Middle East tensions, the “historic first” framing gave the posts extra charge. We investigated the claim and the protests on the ground. Here is what we found.

Social Media Posts: The Hiriketiya “First Synagogue” Claim

Photographs presented as depicting a Jewish synagogue newly opened in Hiriketiya circulated on social media as follows:

Facebook | Archived Link

These posts were circulated widely on Facebook.

Fact-Check: 

What a “Chabad House” Actually Is

Jewish religious centers do operate within Sri Lanka. However, these are not established as traditional, large-scale synagogues, but as “Chabad Houses”, or Jewish community centers, offering prayer facilities, kosher food and lodging for Israeli and Jewish travelers visiting Sri Lanka. Such centers have been established at several locations, including Colombo, Weligama, Hikkaduwa, Arugam Bay and, more recently, Hiriketiya.

Sri Lanka Had an Official Synagogue Long Before Hiriketiya

This was not the first Jewish place of worship in the country. During British colonial rule, before 1948, an official synagogue known as The Great Synagogue existed in Colombo, but it fell into disuse after Sri Lanka’s Jewish community departed. Colombo’s Cinnamon Red Hotel now stands on the site where the old synagogue once stood. Further details are available here (archived).

According to data from the official Chabad Sri Lanka organization, the first center was established in Colombo 23 years ago, in 2003, by Rabbi Mendy Crombie, following the guidance of their spiritual leader, the Rebbe. The network has gradually expanded to popular coastal tourist destinations such as Weligama, Hikkaduwa, Arugam Bay, Ella and Hiriketiya (archived).

According to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, some of these centers are not registered as religious institutions at all, but operate under business or restaurant-level registration under the Companies Act:

Weligama (legally registered); Ella (legally registered); Pottuvil / Arugam Bay; Thimbirigasyaya / Colombo; and Hiriketiya, the newly opened location.

As some operate without proper religious authorization, the government has appointed special committees to investigate the matter.

What Actually Opened in Hiriketiya Was a Chabad House, not a Synagogue

A Jewish center known as a Chabad House was established roughly a month ago in Hiriketiya, in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, to serve the religious and community needs of Israeli travelers. Local residents and the Maha Sangha (Buddhist clergy) staged protests, alleging that the center was operating without proper legal authorization. Footage from these protests is here (1, 2, 3). The center operated a kosher restaurant and hosted Sabbath meals, describing itself as a safe haven for Israeli travelers visiting southern Sri Lanka.

What Local Journalists Told Us

We consulted a local journalist who had reported on the matter, who said that villagers and monks in the area alleged that unnecessary religious and business activities were taking place there. He also noted that those in the local tourism industry claimed the Chabad House provided accommodation and meals to visiting tourists, placing local tourism businesses at a disadvantage. As the Daily Mirror reported, protesters demanded that authorities investigate whether the establishment’s activities were lawful, and that it be shut down if found to be operating without the necessary permits.

What Dikwella Police Confirmed

We contacted the Officer-in-Charge of Dikwella Police Station, who stated that the incident had been reported to the Police Media Spokesperson. When we contacted the Police Media Division, the Police Media Spokesperson provided the following clarification on the Hiriketiya Chabad House protest.

On a 40-perch plot of land with three villas at Hiriketiya, Mahahenawatte, Dodampahala, Dikwella, the landowner had entered into an agreement with an Israeli national to run a restaurant on a five-year lease. However, upon learning that the Israeli national intended to operate a Chabad House there and fearing this would deter other foreign travelers from the tourist area, around 200 individuals in the tourism trade staged a protest it. The landowner subsequently issued a 14-day notice, in accordance with the signed agreement, requiring the Israeli national to vacate the premises. Police confirmed that the protesters had since dispersed.

Jewish Religious Centers and Israeli Activity in Sri Lanka

Several security and social concerns have surfaced, both recently and over the past year, regarding Chabad Houses and the activities of Israeli nationals in Sri Lanka. We contacted the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs regarding this matter, and intend to update this article once we receive their response.

The October 2024 Terrorist-Attack Threats in the Arugam Bay Region

In October 2024, both the U.S. Embassy and Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) issued emergency notices warning of a credible terrorist threat targeting tourist locations in Arugam Bay and the southern coastal belt. Jewish and Israeli nationals in the area were instructed to leave immediately or relocate to Colombo, and the government was compelled to deploy the Sri Lanka Police and the Special Task Force (STF) to establish special security checkpoints and roadblocks.

Given the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and broader Israeli-Palestinian tensions, a degree of sensitivity and unease surrounding these Jewish centers persists among Sri Lanka’s Muslim and other communities.

Chabad Houses Operate in Over 100 Countries Worldwide

According to official Chabad network data, the organization currently operates over 5,000 centers across more than 100 countries worldwide. Chabad centers have been established in nearly every major city of countries with large Jewish communities, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. Beyond Sri Lanka, they remain highly active in countries popular among Israeli travelers, including India (Mumbai, Manali, Dharamshala, Goa), Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai), Nepal (Kathmandu) and Seychelles.

Their role abroad includes providing safe accommodation, guidance and information to young Israelis travelling after military service; providing officially certified kosher food and restaurant facilities prepared according to Jewish religious law; and organizing Sabbath (Shabbat) dinners and major festivals such as Passover.

Much like in Sri Lanka, these centers have faced crises abroad. The most severe incident occurred in 2008, when Mumbai’s Chabad House (Nariman House) was specifically targeted during the terrorist attacks carried out by Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba, resulting in the deaths of several people, including the Jewish rabbi. Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, particularly Gaza, Chabad centers in several European and Asian countries have faced security threats and protests at various times.

The Photographs Shared as Sri Lanka’s “First Synagogue” Are from Abroad

The photographs featured in the viral posts, claiming to depict Sri Lanka’s first synagogue holding prayer services in Hiriketiya, were presented as authentic images taken in this country. On running them through a reverse image search, we found that they are neither genuine photographs of a Chabad House in Sri Lanka nor images taken within the country. They are, instead, photographs from a traditional Jewish naming and circumcision ceremony held in the United States and France, interior views of a genuine synagogue in Eilat, Israel, and interior views of a synagogue within the Russian Federation.

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Conclusion

Our fact-check found that the posts claiming Sri Lanka’s first synagogue had been built and held prayer services in Hiriketiya are misleading. Sri Lanka previously had an official synagogue, The Great Synagogue, operating in Colombo during British colonial rule, before 1948.

The more recent facilities are not traditional, large-scale synagogues, but Chabad Houses, or Jewish community centers, offering prayer facilities, kosher food and lodging for Israeli and Jewish travelers. Such centers are already operating in Weligama, Hikkaduwa, Arugam Bay and Ella, and the Hiriketiya center is the newest, not the first.

The photographs circulating on social media are, in fact, images of Jewish religious centers and ceremonies located in other countries, confirmed through a reverse image search to originate in the United States, France, Israel (Eilat) and the Russian Federation. The account was verified against the official Chabad Sri Lanka organization, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dikwella Police and the Police Media Division.