5,000 people, 4 sects, 4 areas, 35 synagogues: Where the Indian Jews are
Several Israeli tourists vacationing in India have cut their trips short to return home and enlist in the Israeli army. This decision comes as the conflict between Israel and Palestine continues to escalate.
The Israeli embassy in India has reported an increase in the number of Israeli tourists enlisting in the army. The embassy is also providing assistance to those who are returning home to enlist.
Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rival, Benny Gantz, have formed a wartime cabinet as the conflict, now in its sixth day, has resulted in a death toll of 2,300.
There is a lesser-known Jewish community scattered in and around different parts of India. The Jewish community in India can trace its roots back nearly 2,000 years.
India is often hailed as one of the most tolerant countries, where Jews have not encountered anti-Semitism.
Despite their small numbers, Indian Jews are actively preserving the last remnants of Jewish heritage, including approximately 35 synagogues, cemeteries, and schools across the country.
It is also interesting to see how Indian Jews from ancient communities started a journey to their new home in Israel. Today, over 80,000 Jews of Indian origin live in the Middle East.
Indian origin Jews
The Indian Jewish community's tale is not just one of migration; it's about finding a new home while cherishing a 2,000-year-old legacy in the region.
With India gaining independence in 1947 and the establishment of Israel in 1948, a significant shift in India-Israel relations occurred.
The sizable Jewish population in India saw Israel's creation as a call to their holy land, prompting many to migrate to their religious homeland.
Around 5,000 Jews currently live in India.
However, the Indian Jewish community wasn't a uniform group, and it comprises four major sects:
- Bene Israel, the largest Indian Jewish group primarily settled in Maharashtra and Konkan.
- Baghdadi Jews, who arrived in port cities like Calcutta, Bombay, and Rangoon in the most recent wave of migration.
- Bnei Menashe, settled in the North East.
- Cochin Jews, who have a history in India dating back to 50 CE.
Bene Israel
Where are they now:
- The Bene Israeli Jewish community in Maharashtra is believed to be descendants of Jews from Israel.
- They landed in India after their ship had a shipwreck near Navgaon village on the Konkan coast in the year 175 BCE.
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In Tiswadi, Goa, some old buildings look like they might have been used for Jewish rituals in the past.
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Meanwhile, in Siridao, a village chapel whispers about its past as a synagogue.
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The Bene Israel arrived in Israel between 1948 and 1952.
The Shaar Hashamayim Synagogue in Thane, Maharashtra, is a significant place where a small Egyptian Jewish community is seen.
Baghdadi Jews
Where are they now:
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Baghdadi Jews came to India in the 18th century from Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq.
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During the 1940s, Baghdadi Jews and European Jews escaping the Nazi oppression sought refuge in Calcutta and Mumbai.
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The community prospered in these cities, engaging in various businesses, including finance, cotton, jute, tobacco processing, and opium trades.
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Amir Ohana, the Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, visited the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Mumbai, where he held a Sefer Torah, a hand-written copy of the Torah (Hebrew Bible).
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This visit was at the invitation of Israel's Consul General in Mumbai, Kobbi Shoshani, and the local Jewish community.
- They had their own languages, customs, and unique cultural backgrounds and lived in different parts of India, mostly in Calcutta.
- After India's independence in 1947, many Baghdadi Jews decided to migrate to Israel, especially those who were more financially well-off.
Also Read: How Israel's timely help during the Kargil war helped India hammer Pakistan
Bnei Menashe
Where are they now:
- This community has diverse Tibeto-Burmese ethnic groups from the India-Burma border region.
- This group, called Bnei Menashe or 'sons of Menashe,' believed themselves to be descendants of the lost tribe of Menashe.
- In the 1990s, the Bnei Menashe from the states of Manipur and Mizoram began their immigration to Israel.
- Their unique status as a "lost tribe" requires all of them to undergo formal orthodox conversions upon their arrival in Israel.
Cochin Jews
Where are they now:
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The Cochin Jewish community is ancient, with roots in the city of Cochin, southwestern India, dating back to biblical times, possibly during King Solomon's era.
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Others believe they left during tough times in Babylon, ran away when the Second Temple was destroyed, or moved from a faraway place called Majorca in the fourth century.
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A 15th-century showdown in India saw Jewish traders clash with Arab merchants over business, causing damage to homes and synagogues.
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Wealthy Jews felt insecure in their neighborhood, so they came to Cochin for safety.
- Black Jews, who look similar to the locals and are the earliest Jewish descendants in Kerala.
- They could worship in the Pardesi Synagogue.
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What is Chabad House?
Chabad House is a community center for the Jewish community run by missionaries.
Some Israelis celebrate the Jewish festival 'Hanukkah' in Rajasthan's Pushkar, where they have established a Chabad house.
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival known as the Festival of Lights. It lasts for eight days and nights.
A synagogue Chabad Centre and Rabbis (Jewish scholar or teacher) are present in Himachal Pradesh's Manali during the summer season.
Old Manali has transformed into a thriving Jewish hotspot over the past decade, with Hebrew signage, conversations, and Israeli-focused businesses.
There are about 20 Chabad centers in India.
Jewish connection to Israel
- Jews see Israel as their 'Promised Land' because their ancestors were told by God to live there.
- But, over time, they had to leave. In the late 1800s, they started going back.
- Then, after two big wars, Israel was created in Palestine on May 14, 1948.
- Right after that, a war started because some Arab countries didn't like that a Jewish country was made there.
For Jews, places around Jerusalem are extra important because they think God promised that land to their ancestor Abraham and his family. So, for them, Israel is like their hometown.
The recent tragic death of an Indian Jewish family in Israel has brought attention to the challenges faced by small communities within the broader ethnic group.
The Israel-Hamas war took an unexpected turn on October 7.
Hamas, a Palestinian group in Gaza, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, causing the death of at least 900 Israelis.
Israel responded with air raids in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 400 Palestinians.
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