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Indian Jewish History

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Today most Indian Jews live in and around Bombay, particularly in Thane, a suburb 35 kilometers from the city. The community is composed of three distinct groups: the dominant Bene Israel, who believe themselves to be the descendants of the original settlers who came to India as early as 2,000 years ago; The Jews of Malabar, centered in Cochin, whose forefathers arrived in India from Europe and The Middle East as early as 1,000 years ago; and The Iraqi Jews, called "Baghdadis," who began settling in India at the end of The 18th Century.


The Indian Jewish community has shrunk considerably in recent years, primarily due to emigration. The central communal organization of Indian Jewry is The Council of Indian Jewry, which was established in 1978 in Bombay. There are a variety of other organizations, including The Zionist Association, B'nai B'rith, a Jewish Club in Bombay, Bikur Cholim, and two women's associations.


Myths surround the origins of the Jews of India, particularly the Bene Israel and the Jews of Cochin. The Bene Israel claim to have arrived in India in The 2nd Century B.C.E..


The Groups of Indian Jews


I Bene Israel


The first documented evidence of this community dates from The 17th Century. Isolated from the rest of Jewry, The Bene Israel adopted many Muslim and Hindu customs.


The Bene Israel began to move to Bombay in The Late 18th Century and built their first synagogue, Shaare Rachamim (Gates of Mercy), in 1796. In The Early 19th century, the Bene Israel numbered approximately 6,000 and peaked at 20,000 in 1948.


II Cochin Jewry


The Cochin community was divided into three distinct groups, Paradesi or "White Jews," "Black Jews," and Meshuhrarim or "Freedmen." These divisions were maintained until recent times by a rigid caste system.


The Paradesi are descended from a mixture of Jewish exiles from Cranganore and later Spain, The Netherlands, Aleppo, and Germany. Firm evidence of their presence dates back to around 1000 C.E., when the local Hindu leader granted certain privileges to Joseph Rabban, the leader of the community. The Paradesi in Cochin still have the copper tablets on which these privileges are inscribed.


The Black Jews, whose origins are less clear but are believed to precede those of The Paradesi (and may date back to antiquity), closely resemble their Indian neighbors and often bear biblical names.


The Meshuhrarim were manumitted slaves, whose offspring were affiliated with either The Paradesi or The Black Jews.


III Baghdadi Jews


The Baghdadi Jews first arrived from Iraq, Syria, and Iran around 1796, fleeing persecution in their native lands. The most prominent Baghdadi Jew was David Sasson, who established The Indian House of Sasson in 1832 and paved the way for the arrival of many other Iraqi Jews in India. Among the achievements of The Baghdadi Jews was the introduction of amba, a food made from pickled mango and curry, into the Iraqi diet, when they brought it back into Iraq. It is now a Middle Eastern food and The Iraqi Jews brought it with them to Israel and is just as Israeli as falafel.

Mstislav:
I think the 'black Jews' are Indians who converted to Judaism. I cannot fully remember but I swear I read that somewhere.

Mstislav:
Converting back? What made them leave, and what were they before?

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