The Ancient Jews of India: Empowerment, Mutual Respect, and Deliberate Thoughtfulness

After the destruction of the first Temple Jews were scattered to the far ends of the earth. The loss of sovereignty, and the turning away of “God’s face” as the fire consumed the epicenter of Judaism, traumatized our nation, and brought them to believe that they would never look back lest God’s wrath punish them once again. Through the waves of the unknown and shallow breathing, a fraction of our people arrived at the Shore of Alibag, India—nearly 2200 years ago…

“There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she birthed, and there is none to take her hand out of the children she raised (Isaiah 51:18)…”

Just before reaching port, the ship sank and all but seven couples perished, leaving their Torah and traditions not on parchment, but embedded in their memory. These couples are the survivors to take no for an answer, these are the people who managed to hold true what they believe in; these are the Jews to establish the “Bnei Yisroel” community of India.

We arrived at the Teeferet Synagogue just before sunset on Friday. The sanctuary had oil lamps hanging from the ceiling, and fans to combat the intense heat and humidity. The Hazzan sat at the bima and awaited the praying group to form. As others came to join us we all exchanged blessings to one another and began our Kabbalat Shabbat service. Each person was called on to read a chapter of the Psalms, each person was waited for when finishing the prayer, and each word was said clearly with intent. The Bnei Yisroel traditions remind us what truly is the only recipe for a people’s continuity: Empowerment, mutual respect, and deliberate thoughtfulness.

Shabbat morning I prayed at the Magen David Synagogue, which is located just 100 meters from our lodging. I was honored with taking out the Torah during services and also reciting the blessing over the Torah reading. I was really moved by the Indian Jews practices around honoring the Torah. Each person says a prayer about the Torah, each come to the front of the synagogue. I couldn’t help but feel they lost the Torah at sea, and now that it’s safe at shore, how could we not come close to it?

Today the Jewish population of India has dramatically decreased since the creation of the Israel. Though they took to sea after the Temple’s destruction, their memory called most of them home but again. “Surely I will go down…with you, and I shall also bring you up (Genesis 46:4).” As the Indian community makes up less then .0000001% of the country’s population, it is our duty as the JDC-GPM cohort to stand with and for this very small, and ancient body that makes up our Am Yisroel, the nation of Israel.

I am looking forward to sharing those moments with you soonJ

Mumbai: Day I, The Hustle

When I told my friends and family that I was planning on going to India for the summer, many reminded me that with the monsoon-like climate, Mumbai will reach “unbearable temperatures.” I was duly relieved when I landed, I feared I would melt upon exit, but was duly relieved to be in the mild 87 degrees, with humidity. If someone were to ask me what the daily forecast feels like, I would say, “ya know, like going swimming through a jacuzzi.” At this point, I’m getting used to being sweaty all day

As I exited the airport, many tried getting me to take a taxi with them, but our program had already sent a driver for me. At first I pondered, “what if they forgot? What if he left because my bags took too long? After a few short moments of surveying the many drivers with signs, I spotted my name written in big green letters, and…we were off!

After a thirty-five minute drive, we arrived at the E.E.E Sassoon Compound located in Byculla, Mumbai. Despite the fact that he was a the treasurer Baghdad, due to persecution and economic interests, Sassoon established an entire community in Bombay (Mumbai). The Sassoon Compound is a fenced in square-quarter mile of dirt road that is guarded by the Indian police at all times. At the entrance lay the 153-year-old Magen David Synagogue, standing nearly 5 stories high with a sky-blue exterior. Behind the synagogue is an open courtyard, E.E.E Sassoon High School and, where I live with my fellow GPM-JDC Fellows, the Sassoon House.

Following brief introductions with the other members of the cohort, the guys, myself included, decided to go to the Krawfur Food Market. Flagging down a taxi was the easy part, what was more difficult was finding the lines separating each lane, to then learn that there aren’t any! The streets bottle-necked with taxis and cars, motor-cycles being driven by women in burqas, the immense heat, and the curious native as they scan the taxi filled with Caucasians could be observed in the controlled-chaotic environment of the city’s infrastructure. Undoubtedly, Mumbai traffic makes one believe that NYC traffic is like riding a bike with training wheels—its quite remarkable.

The fruit market was filled with all different types of shops that one can get mango, tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, peaches, apricots, pomegranate, nuts, spices and others.

A man came over to help us bargain and get the best deals—I guess we unintentionally hired a middleman, for all of our shopping needs. This man spent two hours taking us from food store to ATM to clothing store to bathrooms, and at the end, we gave him what would be considered double a days pay, 100 rupees/$1.35. It didn’t quite register until that moment how cheap things are. I couldn’t help but feel guilty for being born into a world so different that it allotted me different circumstances of greater potential, while also feeling empowered and grateful for my socioeconomic status.

From Above the Clouds--The Authentic Spirit

“Any love that depends on a specific cause, once the cause is gone, the love is gone, but any love that does not depend on specific cause, that love will last forever.” (Ethics 5:16)

This Jewish principle extracted from Perkie Avot (Ethics of our Foreparents), guides us to seek purpose in our actions so that we constantly live in a state of questioning. “For what do I do, and for Whom do I do? Do I live a life of truth and honesty? Where do my intentions lye? Do I do for a specific rhyme or reason, or because it is the most real me? This maxim also suggests that the opposite of such may lead to the consequence of fleeting, unyielding fruit of inauthentic relationships—to the other, self or environ.

When questioning, we may be confronted with the reality that alterior motives do in fact guide many of my actions and many breaths are cast with Tohu VaVohu, the clear and unclear, the real and the fake, the genuine and the ingenuine. So when that moment comes, it is our responsibility to seek out our inner compass and ask, where does my most authentic self lye and how do I awaken him (her)?

From Above the Clouds-June 19^th, 2014:

Today, right now, I stand restless at the back of a 747 airliner after nearly travelling for an entire day. With 19 hours in the air and 2 hours in London, standing seems like the only viable option. As I stare at the screen, and the plane icon slowly passes my more frequented destination of Israel, I am reminded that this journey is not about my roots as a Jew, but as a person. Because as a person I know how to sing, laugh, and cry; as a person I fear and I long for connection. With the many struggles I will bare witness to, from heart to heart, I only hope I can be human: pulsing, emotive and authentic.

As I begin my journey, and as I bring you, the reader, on this journey with me, I only hope I can be authentic, that I can bring a love that is natural and does not depend on any specific cause. A love that can be nurtured for the children I serve, or the Jews I will join with; a love more precious then fools gold—all because I know, it does not depend on a specific cause other than authenticity.