Bene Israel

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The Bene Israel (Template:Literal translation), also referred to as the "Shanivar Teli" (Template:Literal translation)<ref name="NIH2">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="TI">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="JE">Template:Cite web</ref> or "Native Jew" caste,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> are a community of Jews in India. It has been suggested<ref name="ejio bombay">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> that they are the descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes via their ancestors who had settled there centuries ago. Starting in the second half of the 18th century,<ref name="DBS"/> after they were taught about normative Sephardi Judaism,<ref name="JWA29">Benjamin J. Israel, The Jews of India, Centre for Jewish and Inter-faith Studies, Jewish Welfare Association, New Delhi, 1982, p. 29: "While the present Orthodox Bene Israel ritual conforms to the Sephardi prayer books, there is one peculiarity which is unique to the Bene Israel,... the malida ceremony. On every occasion for thanksgiving a special home service is held, the central feature of which is the singing of a hymn... commemorating the prophet Elijah... followed by the recital of blessings over a concoction of parched rice, shredded coconut, raisins and spices... partaken of by all present, with fruit of at least two kinds.")</ref><ref>Solomon Grayzel, A History of the Jews, The Jewish Publication Society of America, Filadélfia, 1968, p. 744: "their Jewish religion has been entirely restored, and they observe it in orthodox fashion, according to the Spanish ritual"</ref> they migrated from villages in the Konkan region<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="DBS">Template:Cite web</ref> where they had previously lived<ref>Benjamin J. Israel, The Jews of India, Centre for Jewish and Inter-faith Studies, Jewish Welfare Association, New Delhi, 1982, p. 21: "At the opening of the eighteenth century the Bene Israel were almost wholly concentrated in a small coastal strip of about 1,000 square miles slightly to the south of Bombay."</ref> to nearby cities throughout British India—primarily to Mumbai<ref name="ejio bombay"/> where their first synagogue opened in 1796<ref name="DBS"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Benjamin J. Israel, The Jews of India, Centre for Jewish and Inter-faith Studies, Jewish Welfare Association, New Delhi, 1982, p. 27</ref> but also to Pune, Ahmedabad, and Karachi (now in Pakistan),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> where they gained prominent positions in the British colonial government and the Indian Army.

In the early part of the 20th century, many Bene Israel became active in the Indian film industry as actresses/actors, producers, and directors. With Indian independence in 1947 followed by the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, many Bene Israel, including those who had arrived in India after their exodus from newly-independent Pakistan, soon emigrated to the State of Israel, the United States, as well as Canada, and other Commonwealth countries. Emigration from India (mostly to Israel but also to the UK, the US, Canada and Australia) reduced the approximate population there from a peak of 20,000 in 1951 to 16,000 in 1961 and 5,500 in 1971, after which the emigration greatly declined.<ref>Benjamin J. Israel, The Jews of India, Centre for Jewish and Inter-faith Studies, Jewish Welfare Association, New Delhi, 1982, p. 11</ref>

History

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File:Bene Israels (9727799854).jpg
Bene Israels in 1850s.
File:KITLV 87160 - Johnson and Henderson - Bene Israel teachers of the Free Church of Scotland's Mission School and the Jewish English School in Bombay, British India - 1856.tif
Bene Israel teachers in Bombay, 1856

The Bene Israel community believes that their ancestors fled Judea during the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes and are descended from fourteen Jews, seven men and seven women, who came to India as the only survivors of a shipwreck<ref name="NIH2"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> near the village of Navagaon on the coast about Template:Convert south of Mumbai.<ref name="JWA16">Benjamin J. Israel, The Jews of India, Centre for Jewish and Inter-faith Studies, Jewish Welfare Association, New Delhi, 1982, p. 16: "in the early years of the nineteenth century, the Bene Israel believed that their ancestors came a long time ago by sea from somewhere in the 'north' and were shipwrecked off Navagaon about 20 miles south of Bombay Island"</ref> Some historians have thought their ancestors may have belonged to one of the Lost Tribes of Israel.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book, who wrote: "The Bané Israel, a Jewish tribe in India, claim, we have said, to descend from the ten tribes; this tradition deserves serious examination." (End Quote)</ref> They took up the work of oil pressing and running grocery shops but abstained from working on the Sabbath, and hence were called Shanivar Teli. Genetic evidence as of 2005 suggests that the Bene Israel appear to carry a haplotype which points to a Middle Eastern origin, and Jews may have formed part of the founding group.<ref name="Parfitt Egorova 2005">Template:Cite journal</ref> They gradually assimilated to the people around them, while retaining customs that are considered Jewish.<ref name="Weil2009">Template:Cite book</ref> The medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides may have been referring to the Bene Israel when he wrote in a letter:<ref name=Roland1998>Roland JG (1998) The Jewish communities of India: identity in a colonial era. 2nd ed. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers</ref><ref name="NIH2"/> "The Jews of India know nothing of the Torah, save for the Sabbath and circumcision."<ref name="JWA15">Benjamin J. Israel, The Jews of India, Centre for Jewish and Inter-faith Studies, Jewish Welfare Association, New Delhi, 1982, p. 15</ref>

At a point in history which is uncertain, an Indian Jew from Cochin named David Rahabi discovered the Bene Israel in their villages and recognized their vestigial Jewish customs.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Rahabi taught the people about normative Judaism. He trained some young men among them to be the religious preceptors of the community.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Known as Kajis, these men held a position that became hereditary, similar to the Cohanim. They became recognized as judges and settlers of disputes within the community.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Bene Israel tradition places Rahabi's arrival at either 1000 or 1400, although some historians have dated his arrival to the 18th century. They suggest that the "David Rahabi" of Bene Israel folklore was a man named David Ezekiel Rahabi, who lived from 1694 to 1772, and resided in Cochin, then the centre of the wealthy Malabar Jewish community.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Others suggest that the reference is to David Baruch Rahabi, who arrived in Bombay from Cochin in 1825.<ref>Haeem Samuel Kehimkar, The History of the Bene-Israel of India (ed. Immanuel Olsvanger), Tel-Aviv : The Dayag Press, Ltd.; London : G. Salby 1937, p. 66</ref>

It is estimated that there were 6,000 Bene Israel in the 1830s; 10,000 at the turn of the 20th century; and in 1948—their peak in India—they numbered 20,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since that time, most of the population has emigrated to Israel. In 2020, the Jewish population in Mumbai numbered about 3,500, out of which 99% were from the Bene Israel community.<ref name="Rangan">Template:Cite news</ref> Mumbai and surrounding regions, like Raigad, house several synagogues, most of which belong to the Bene Israel community.

Under British colonial rule, many Bene Israel rose to prominence in India; they were less affected by discriminatory legislation and gained prominent positions within the colonial government and the Indian Army, at a higher rate overall than their non-Jewish counterparts.<ref name="Weil2009" /> Some of these enlistees with their families later immigrated to the British protectorate of Aden.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the 19th century, the Bene Israel did however meet with hostility from the newly anglicized Baghdadi Jews who considered the Bene Israel to be "Indian". They also questioned the Jewishness of the community. In response, the Bene Israel educator and historian, Haeem Samuel Kehimkar, spearheaded the defence of the Jewishness of the Bene Israel in the late 1800s. In his writings, he tried to portray the Bene Israel as a totally foreign community in India. He also divided the community into two endogamous groups: white (gora) and black (kala). He claimed the whites had pure blood, while the blacks were the progeny of Indian women and therefore impure.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Egorova2018">Template:Cite book</ref>

In the early twentieth century, numerous Bene Israel became leaders in the new film industry in India. In addition, men worked as producers and actors: Ezra Mir (alias Edwin Myers) (1903–1993) became the first chief of Films Division of India, and Solomon Moses was head of the Bombay Film Lab Pvt Ltd from the 1940s to 1990s.<ref name="glitz"/> Ennoch Isaac Satamkar was a film actor and assistant director to Mehboob Khan, a director of Hindi films.<ref>Template:Cite book </ref>

Given the relatively privileged position they had held under British colonial rule, many Bene Israel prepared to leave India at independence in 1947. They believed that nationalism and the emphasis on indigenous religions would mean fewer opportunities for them. Most immigrated to the state of Israel,<ref name="Weil 2008">Template:Cite book</ref> which was newly established in 1948 as a Jewish homeland.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Life in Israel

Template:Main Between 1948 and 1952, some 2,300 Bene Israel immigrated to Israel.<ref>Weil, Shalva. (2000) India, The Larger Immigrations from Eastern Countries, Jerusalem: Ben-Zvi Institute and the Ministry of Education. (Hebrew)</ref> In India, the Bene Israel and other Jews lived in urban areas, however in Israel they were settled into development towns.<ref name="Abhyankar2008">Template:Cite book</ref> Members of the Bene Israel faced discrimination from other Jewish groups—one reason being their darker skin colour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several rabbis refused to marry Bene Israel to other Jews, on grounds that they were not legitimate Jews under Orthodox law. Between 1952 and 1954, following sit-down protests and hunger strikes by Bene Israel demanding to be sent back to India, the Jewish Agency repatriated 337 members of the Bene Israel community to India, though most eventually returned to Israel years later.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Roby2015">Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1962, authorities in Israel were accused of racism towards the Bene Israel.<ref name="Abramov, S. Zalman 1976, p. 277">Abramov, S. Zalman, Perpetual dilemma: Jewish religion in the Jewish State, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1976, p. 277-278</ref><ref name="Smooha, Sammy 1978, p. 400-401">Smooha, Sammy, Israel: pluralism and conflict, University of California Press, 1978, p. 400-401</ref> In the case that caused the controversy, the Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel ruled that before registering a marriage between Indian Jews and Jews not belonging to that community, the registering rabbi should investigate the lineage of the Indian applicant for possible non-Jewish descent, and in case of doubt, require the applicant to perform conversion or immersion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Abramov, S. Zalman 1976, p. 277"/><ref name="Smooha, Sammy 1978, p. 400-401"/> This discrimination may be related to the fact that some religious authorities believed that the Bene Israel were not fully Jewish because of inter-marriage during their long separation.<ref name=Abbink2002>Template:Cite journal</ref> Between 1962 and 1964, the Bene Israel community staged protests against the religious policy. In 1964 the Israeli Rabbinate ruled that the Bene Israel are "full Jews in every respect".<ref name="Weil 2008"/><ref name="RebhunWaxman2004">Template:Cite book</ref>

The Report of the High Level Commission on the Indian Diaspora (2012) reviewed life in Israel for the Bene Israel community. It noted that the city of Beersheba in Southern Israel has the largest community of Bene Israel, with a sizable one in Ramla. They have a new kind of transnational family.Template:Clarify<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Generally the Bene Israel have not been politically active and have been of modest means.Template:Citation needed They have not formed continuing economic connections to India and have limited political status in Israel. Jews of Indian origin are generally regarded as Sephardic; they have become well integrated religiously within the Sephardic community in Israel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> AbbinkTemplate:Who, on the other hand, states that the Bene Israel have become a distinct ethnic minority in Israel.Template:Citation needed The community, despite having been in Israel for many generations, has maintained many of their traditions from India. For example, traditional wedding rituals such as mehndi remain in practice.<ref name="Hutter2013">Template:Cite book</ref> The Malida ceremony—a thanksgiving ritual commemorating the Jewish prophet Elijah, who has become a kind of patron saint for Bene Israel—is also still practiced.<ref name="JWA29"/> This ceremony is regarded as unique to the Bene Israel Jewish community.<ref name="JWA29" /> It is also called Eliahu HaNabiTemplate:Citation needed (the Hebrew name for Elijah) and is performed at weddings and other celebratory events. The ceremony features the malida food—a tray of flattened rice, grated coconut, raisins, spices, and fruit of two or more different kinds.<ref name="JWA29"/> The Community also observes Tashlich, the ceremony of taking a ritual bath at Rosh HashanahTemplate:Clarify. The Bene Israel like to attend their own synagogues to maintain group life. Their group lifestyle can be seen through their higher levels of endogamy compared to other Jewish groups.<ref name=Abbink2002/>

Religiously, the Bene Israel adopted the devotional singing style Kirtan from their Marathi Hindu neighbors. A popular Kirtan is one based on the Story of Joseph.<ref>Judith Cohen: Jüdische Musik. IV: Östliche Diaspora (14.–19. Jahrhundert). 3. Orientalische Gemeinden. b. Indien (Bene Israel, Cochin). In: MGG Online, November 2016</ref> Their main traditional musical instruments are the Indian Harmonium and the Bulbul tarang.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The Central Organisation of Indian Jews in Israel (COIJI) was founded by Noah Massil.Template:Citation neededThe organization has twenty chapters around Israel. Maiboli, the newsletter for the Bene Israel community is edited by Noah Masil.Template:Citation needed There is also a website called Indian Jewish Community in Israel which coordinates various cultural activities organized by the community. The community in Israel opened the museum of Indian Jewish Heritage in the town of Dimona in 2012. The museum is currently run by volunteers. At present, the museum has a small collection of items donated by the community. It also holds cultural and cooking classes for all communities.<ref name="SemiMiccoli2013">Template:Cite book</ref>

Migration to other countries

Members of Bene Israel also settled in Britain<ref>Weil, S. 1974 'Bene Israel in Britain', New Community 3(1-2): 87–91.</ref> and North America, mostly in Canada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

See also

References

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Further reading

  • David, Esther. The Book of Esther, Penguin Global, 2003
  • Isenberg, Shirley Berry. India's Bene Israel: A Comprehensive Inquiry and Sourcebook, Berkeley: Judah L. Magnes Museum, 1988
  • Template:Cite web
  • Meera Jacob. Shulamith (1975)
  • Parfitt, Tudor. (1987) The Thirteenth Gate: Travels among the Lost Tribes of Israel, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
  • Shepard, Sadia. The Girl from Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten Histories, and a Sense of Home, Penguin Press, 2008
  • Weil, Shalva. (2018) 'Indian Judaic Tradition'  in Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby (eds.) Religions in South Asia (new edition), New York and London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, pp.186–205.
  • Weil, Shalva. (ed.) (2019) The Baghdadi Jews in India: Maintaining Communities, Negotiating Identities and Creating Super-Diversity, London: Routledge.

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