Julian Futter, a record producer, was given a stack of vintage 78s six years ago. He knew little about them save that they featured music originating from Iraqi Jews. These songs were ultimately included on the critically acclaimed CD Shbahoth. However, among the pile were a few records from Mumbai, which Futter describes as fascinating…
Update 3/9/20: 11:30am Due to public safety concerns over the coronavirus, the Commonwealth Club has canceled this event. Please note that this event will take place at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club. Our esteemed panelists will address the connections between Israel, India, and Berkeley, as evidenced by the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life’s exquisite…
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, contributing significantly to the city’s commercial and cultural activities. Kolkata (formerly “Calcutta” until 2001) became their ‘home,’ and the…
Joan Roland focuses on the Bene Israel and Baghdadis in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, describing how identities formed under the Indian caste system changed under British colonial rule, and how the struggle for Indian independence and the establishment of a Jewish homeland raised even more questions. Source: https://www.brandeis.edu/tauber/publications/books/roland-india.html
Only one out of every 2,47,269 Indians is Jewish. The community is tiny, accounting for only around 0.0004% of the total population, yet it does not receive the perks that come with the government-issued tag that many other minorities do. It’s something that Ezra Moses, the Indian Jewish Federation’s honorary secretary, and Solomon Sopher, the…
“Can you hear it?” Sarah Cohen whispers upstairs in the Paradesi Synagogue during Jewish prayers. Something is happening next door at the Hindu temple.” Indeed, the strange liturgy fusion between this congregation and the one neighboring is difficult to overlook. “We often hear their music and prayers,” she says, a Star of David pendant dangling…
Readers were curious why I opted to write “Bene Appetit: The Cuisine of Indian Jews,” which was published by HarperCollins. My response is straightforward. In India, there are 5,000 Jews, down from around 30,000 in the mid-1950s and 1960s. When a community’s population declines, traditional foods begin to vanish. Because food represents memory and culture,…
For its reasons, India’s small but considerable Jewish community stands apart. What sets them apart is their ability to blend into the local culture while maintaining their individuality. There are currently roughly 6000 Jews in India who are tasked with safeguarding the country’s final vestiges of Jewish heritage, which include Jewish cemeteries, schools, and some…
My recent study journey to India with the Jewish Federations of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet provided an opportunity to learn about the courage and perseverance of a rare group of people who battled hard to keep their Judaism despite great obstacles. It was also an occasion to consider the significance of tzedakah as…