Rabbi Yacob Menashe and his sister Dr Sarah Menashe are five generations removed from the founder of this synagogue through his eldest son Sir Albert Sassoon. For the city of Mumbai, Sir Albert, is most well known as the builder of the Sassoon Docks (Colaba).
The celebrations attracted the local Indian Jewish communities, not just from Pune but also Mumbai and Thane. The largest congregation to attend came from the Thane Synagogue, which today has 1800 members, being the largest settlement of Jews in India today.
However, most of the local Jews who attended were largely from the older Bene-Israel (Children of Israel) community, with very few from David Sassoon’s own West Asian Baghdadi Jewish community.