Did you know? There are approximately 5,000 Jews living in India. The Indian Jewish community always had the unique ability to blend into the local culture of the region while keeping to the Jewish traditions and customs. In the photo, an Indian Synagogue in Mumbai. Photo: Moshe Milner, Government Press […]
Tefillin in India! Source: GO Kosher Travel via Bentzi Sasson
From Indian independence in 1947 until 1956, there was no synagogue in the capital city. After its construction in 1956, the synagogue served as the unofficial Israeli Embassy — until 1993, when India and Israel established diplomatic relations and an official embassy was set up. Now the synagogue serves the […]
The Indian Jewish community always had the unique ability to blend into the local culture of the region while keeping to the Jewish traditions and customs. In the photo, an Indian Synagogue in Mumbai. Photo: Moshe Milner, GPO Source: Government Press Office
Living in India, I hardly stood a chance to meet any Holocaust survivor. As I was in Hungary for the Szarvas Camp, I thought I could meet one. Thanks to Zsuzsanna Fritz, (Director of Balint Haz – Jewish Community Centre in Budapest and Educational Director of Camp Szarvas) for arranging […]
“Why did you move to Mumbai?” “My community is literally dying. Most of them bedridden. My father was a shochet but now he has stopped. There are no young men. There is no minyan. I’m the second youngest Jew in my community…. There is no future for me in Cochin.” […]
“I am Jacob Elijah Dandekar. I am known as Baba. I’m 84 years old and I am one of the last Beni Israel of Alibagh. I’ve been a Hazan for over 45 years. I learned to be a Hazan from Baruch Gadkar who was the secretary to Jawaharlal Nehru, the […]
“I was born and raised in Kolkata to a family of Arab-Iraqi ancestry. We spoke Arabic and Hindi at home. I’m one of the last members of the Baghdadi community…. Our community was once thriving but now we are twenty-two.” “How does that feel?” “All my classmates from Yeshiva are […]
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“I feel safe in India. I am safe. I visited Turkey and the Jews there are afraid to tell people they are Jewish. In India, I tell everyone and nobody cares. Actually, most people – seven out of ten people – have never heard of Jews. I try to explain […]
“I have watched over this synagogue for over sixty years. Inshallah, my son will continue to watch after it when I am gone. He will be the fifth generation of my family to do so.” “Why is it important for you to look after the synagogue?” “It is our Islamic […]
