The synagogue, which is used by the community predominantly on special occasions such as Hanukkah and Purim, has a small ark but without a Torah scroll.

Instead, there is a silver menorah inside. On the wall next to the ark is a picture of a letter of the deed of ownership for the land on which the synagogue sits.

There is a mezuzah on the door, but no sign or indication outside that it’s a synagogue. It is located in a busy area surrounded by shops, which was once the area where most of the country’s Jews lived.

Although there is no sign or physical indication that the building houses a synagogue, the shopkeepers nearby know of its existence. “Synagogue?” I asked a man outside a nearby store, as I was looking for directions. He smiled, nodded, and pointed me in its direction.

“The synagogue is the secret weapon of the Jewish community,” said Abraham Cooper of the Wiesenthal Center, who took part in the minyan. “As soon as you walk in, you’re home.”

Even in Bahrain.