After being found along the coast of the Konkan, the seven couples decided to stay there and begin a new life. In a strange country, they found themselves alone, but they soon became acquainted with the locals. Over time, they and their descendants spread to 142 villages, where each generation lived in a different village….
Bene Israel (Hebrew: “Sons of Israel”) is the largest and oldest of India’s Jewish communities. They were integrated into Indian society, preserving many Jewish observances but acting under the caste system, according to legend. They were stranded on the Konkan coast of western India more than 2,100 years ago. Only about 5,000 of the 67,000…
The Bene Israel are arguably the world’s only Jewish community that has never faced anti-Semitism. For two thousand years, they lived in peace with their Indian neighbors, free to practice Judaism and grow as a society. The Bene Israel were thoroughly assimilated into Indian society while maintaining a distinct sense of self; nonetheless, they were…
A new DNA study sheds light on the origins of the Indian Bene Israel community and offers insights into its distant past. According to a new study published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE just two weeks ago, the group formed in one of the Middle Eastern Jewish communities. They arrived in India 19 to…
The West Indian Bene Israel Jewish group is a unique people whose history before the 18th century is mostly unknown. Members of Bene Israel consider themselves to be Jewish descendants, however, the identity of Jewish forebears and their arrival dates in India is uncertain, with estimates ranging from the 8th century BCE to the 6th…
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…
India has been home to Jewish groups who have been persecuted for a long time. One of them is the Bene Israel, which has been around for more than 2,000 years now. Of course, India has always been open to a wide range of religions. This place is the birthplace or home of at least…
The West Indian Bene Israel Jewish community is a special people whose existence before the 18th century is largely unknown. Members of Bene Israel consider themselves to be Jewish descendants, but the identity of Jewish ancestors and their arrival time in India is uncertain, with estimates ranging from the 8th century BCE to the 6th…