The weekend began with a rehearsal supper on the Starship IV, which departed from the Clearwater Beach Marina. The personnel at Yacht Starship Cruises is always pleasant and helpful, ensuring that guests and their families have a wonderful time. We arrived at the Hilton Clearwater Beach at 7 a.m. for photography and video, and the…
Muslims and Jews… Islam and Judaism are two different religions. When you hear these words in the same sentence, what do you think? If you’re like most people, you’ll immediately conjure up images of hatred and negativity… However, my experiences traveling in Muslim-majority nations and freely declaring my Jewishness have been the polar opposite. Muslims…
Nathan Katz is a well-known figure. Emeritus Professor Nathan Katz, Ph.D., is well recognized for his work in Indo-Judaic Studies at Florida International University. His several award-winning publications on Indian Jewish communities highlight the linkages that bind the two religions. Meredith Porte: Meredith has worked at WLRN Public Television for 36 years as an Independent…
The history of Jews in India dates back thousands of years. In documented history, Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to enter India. Indian Jews are a religious minority in India, although unlike in many other parts of the world, they have never faced anti-Semitism from the local majority population. Many local customs…
This book’s theme is inextricably linked to the author’s identity. She is a member of Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s Bene Israel Jewish community. Food is more than just a source of sustenance; it also contains the key to understanding migration, survival, and assimilation histories. Communities that have been uprooted do not cut ties with their past. They…
Chicken Chitarnee, a Jewish curry from India, is an onion and tomato-based curry with a few Indian spices and a lot of lemon juice and vinegar. My family’s favorite dish is Chicken Chitarnee, an Indian Jewish curry. It’s a curry made with onions and tomatoes that are spiced up with a few Indian spices and…
India is a culturally and gastronomically diverse Asian Earth Mother. Three peculiar Jewish communities, located in separate parts of the country, have been sheltered among its millions for decades. The Baghdadi Jews of Calcutta, the Bene Israel of Bombay on the Konkan peninsula, and the so-called Black Jews of Cochin in southwest India is the…
The Monmouth County Clerk’s Office at Market Yard, 33 Mechanic Street, Freehold, has asked the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County to host an exhibit. From Malabar to Monmouth County: A Global Connection to the Jews of India is the theme of this year’s exhibit. This mini-exhibit, which is based on the Museum’s current rotating…