This chapter focuses on presenting the Shanghai Baghdadi Jewish community from a new angle, that of its marginal status within Shanghai’s Western community. David Sassoon established a trading firm upon his arrival in Bombay, and in less than a decade, he had become the most respected member of the local Jewish community. The chapter tries…
There were 252 Jews from India’s north-eastern Bnei Menashe community, including babies and the elderly, who came to Israel on Tuesday to start a new life. In total, they make up 50 families and 24 single people. There are four babies under two years old, and 19 people over the age of 62. It was…
Indian Jews are having a hard time. Last month’s official statements on Israel were a source of uncertainty for them. They are afraid that the expulsion of Consul Yousuf Hasseen and the threat to close the consulate altogether will backfire on them because of that. India’s foreign policy has always been pushed and pulled by…
The Baghdadi Jews of Kolkota are little recognized for a variety of reasons, one of which is their migration from India following Independence. Manjira Majumdar brings a book about this community’s remarkable food, lifestyle, and culture to light. Despite the presence of some communities from outside India in India, little is known about their cuisine,…
The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County has been invited to present an exhibit at the Market Yard parking lot of the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, 33 Mechanic St., Freehold Borough. According to a news release from the museum, this year’s show is about the Jews of India and is titled “From Malabar to Monmouth…
I’m at Keneseth Eliyahoo, the powder blue-and-white synagogue at the heart of Mumbai’s Jewish community, just a few blocks from the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and the Arabian Sea’s Gateway to India bridge. It’s one of several synagogues in India’s largest city, which elected a Jewish mayor, Dr. Elijah Moses, in 1937. It was built…
Jaishankar praised the work of Indian Jews in the nation-building process of India, identifying them as “one of us,” citing old cultural and religious ties between India and Israel. S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, met with the Indian Jewish community in Israel on Sunday, praising its enormous effect on the country. In many ways,…
Indian Jews have a long history in India, dating back to when Jews first arrived and settled there. The Cochin, Baghdadi Jews, Bene Israelis, and the recently found Bene Menashe and Bene Ephraim were among the key groupings they established. The Jews have successfully maintained their culture and tradition over the years and have become…
Baghdadi Jews, also known as Indo-Iraqi Jews, are mostly descended from Baghdad and other parts of the Middle East, as the name implies. They first established themselves in ports and along trade routes in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. The Baghdadi Jews were great traders and business people before coming to India,…
Anti-Semitism has never existed in India, making it one of the few places in the world where Jews have never faced anti-Semitism. Indian Jews currently residing in Israel, their “fatherland,” reminisce about their rich history and culture in India. “I am glad that my two countries, India and Israel, my motherland and my fatherland, have…