As American Jewish organizations try to figure out how to maintain Jewish “continuity,” it’s a good idea to go outside the box to see how other Jewish communities have done so successfully. Two models may be found in India: the scholarly Jewish community of Kochi (Cochin) and the pious Bene Israel. Both of these little…
MUMBAI — On my first morning in India, I found myself staring at an egg. That and a cup of coffee was all my hotel’s “free continental breakfast” amounted to, but I didn’t feel cheated. I felt vindicated. After all, I’d come to India because of an egg. I cracked the hard-boiled shell and peeled…
Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, just returned from a six-day official visit to India, during which the two countries declared a “new era” in bilateral relations. Zubair Ahmed of BBC Hindi visited Israel’s Beersheba to meet a population of Indian-origin Jews who arrived shortly after the country’s founding. Even though Naor Gudekar is 61 years…
According to the 2011 census, India has a total population of 4650 Jews. They come from quite different backgrounds and come from very different communities. The Paradesi Jews are one of these various groups. They are the descendants of Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) who were forced to flee discrimination in…
For years, Muslims in Kolkata, India’s West Bengal state capital, have looked after the city’s three Jewish temples. As many as 600 Jews lived in Kolkata at one time. The congregation now has just over a dozen members, according to the synagogue’s guardians. Sarah Jones examines how a community has come together in the face…
Daniel learned Hebrew and the teachings of the faith as a child in Mumbai’s small, close-knit Jewish community. He often led prayers and aided at his local synagogue, where several members of his family served as community leaders, even though he was not officially ordained. That experience came in useful in 1994, when Daniel and…
Indian cuisine is recognized for its delicious and fragrant spices, slow and extended cooking procedures, and a variety of unusual dish titles. Growing up, my family didn’t eat Indian food very much because it was difficult to locate kosher ingredients and the flavor profile was unfamiliar. However, as my cooking skills improved, I began to…
MYSORE, INDIA (JTA) — MYSORE, INDIA (JTA) — Christmas in Kolkata has always been a festive occasion, from the sparkling exterior lights that adorn Park Street to the bustling pop-up Christmas market in the central rotunda of the enormous New Market. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the devastating aftereffects of Cyclone Amphan,…
Passover is a week-long festival commemorating the Israelites’ deliverance from Egyptian slavery. The Passover Seder kicks off the Jewish holiday with a traditional feast that includes some symbolic dishes that aren’t vegan-friendly. With these three vegan recipes, you can serve a delicious-looking meal during Passover. Potatoes, soy mince, onion, garlic, and a variety of delectable…
In Israel, there are two small pieces of India: an 800-year-old hospice in Jerusalem and a popular restaurant in the heart of Ashdod.