LEARNING ABOUT BENE ISRAEL

This evening I attend an informal talk by Leon Charikar, President of the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation, on the Jewish communities of Mumbai: the Bene Israel.

According to folklore there has been a Jewish Community in the rural Mararashtra for over 2000 years.

• Where did they come from?
• By what means did they arrive in the west of India?
• How did they survive and maintain their identity?
• Did they keep kosher, did they observe the festivals?
• How did they dress and what work did they do?
• How did they live and work alongside other religions and cultures around them?
• What is their relationship to other Jews who came to other parts of India at different times?
• What part did they play in the history and development of India?
• How has their community fared in the modern world?

Leon's presentation considers these questions, sifts legend and myth from history and fact, and describes his own family connections to the Bene Israel. Before this evening, I knew little more than that this community existed; I learned a little bit when researching my presentation, "How Diverse is Leicester?" for An Indian Summer at Phoenix Square in June last year (see my blog entry for that occasion). I find the whole thing fascinating. The photo above is of the interior of a synagogue in Mumbai.