Esther David, a Sahitya Akademi Award recipient, has written a new book about Jewish life in India. She examines the gastronomic history of this tiny group, whose 5,000 members live in scattered locations across the country. ‘Bene Appetit,’ a brief, simple book with recipes, historical anecdotes, and drawings, is every bit as appetizing as its…
In the late 1940s, India’s Jewish population numbered around 26,000 people. The entire population was split into four groups. At Mumbai’s Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, I had my first taste of Indian Jewish cuisine. It was Passover, and we were fed a basic but delicious communal lunch in a large dining area beneath the prayer hall….
In the late 1940s, India’s Jewish population numbered around 26,000 people. The entire community was split into four groups: Cochin Jews, Bene Israel Jews, Baghdadi Jews, and European Jewish refugees. All of them had the benefits of Indian citizenship and were not persecuted. If there was any animosity between the Bene Israel and the Baghdadi…
The Bene Israel community in Mumbai is the last relic of a once-thriving Jewish population that was devastated in part due to emigration to Israel. I claim that the Bene Israel, who have been criticized for their dark skin color and copied Hindu practices, represent a Jewish way of life that consciously opposes the authoritarian…
Following 1948, not only the Jews who made India their home, but also those who went to Israel with India in their hearts, have had an impact on India-Israel ties. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived in India, bringing with him hopes for the two countries’ relations to reach new heights. Netanyahu and…
Surat: The relatively minuscule Jewish community in India has never faced anti-Semitism in its 200 years of existence. In India, Jews have Christian neighbors, Hindu coworkers, and Muslim caregivers while maintaining their own identity. They celebrate Durga Puja, Diwali, Rosh Hashanah, and Christmas with similar zeal. Their synagogues here frequently reverberate with Hebrew incantations, echoing…
This week on the Right Brain Music Podcast, we meet the Om Shalom Trio, a group of musicians who blend Indian, Jewish, and classical music traditions so well that you won’t even know they were ever apart. This is our first joint project with The World Fusion Show, a popular show on community access TV…
The community’s presence in the city has all but vanished. Former residents recall good cuisine, harmony, and heritage recollections. During the turbulent 1940s, Baghdadi Jews, as well as many European Jews fleeing Nazi oppression, fled to the ‘City of Joy’ and found refuge there. They settled down and finally excelled in all of their endeavors,…
Much has been written about Hollywood’s Jewish history. This, on the other hand, is a little more startling. In the early days of the similarly dynamic Indian film industry – Bollywood – Jews played a significant role. A number of Jewish actresses, in particular, grabbed the interest of Indian audiences with their charm and beauty….
The Hindi film business, also known as Bollywood, is one of the world’s largest worldwide film industries, with a population of over 1.3 billion people. It is also home to some of the world’s most famous actresses. Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Deepika Padukone, for example, have risen to international prominence as a result of their…