KERALA’S
JEWISH COMMUNITY – ART & CULTURE
News:
Queenie Hallegua the last woman of Kerala’s Paradesi Jewish community died in
Kochi at the age of 89.
What’s
in the news?
Background
- India’s Jewish population is
estimated to comprise 4,000-5,000 members from 20,000-50,000 in the
mid-1940s.
- They belong to the Marathi-speaking
Bene Israel community, settled on the Konkan coast for hundreds of
years.
- However they are not the oldest
Jewish community of India.
The
Jews of Kerala
- Malabar Jews, also
known as the Cochin Jews, trace their history to the days of King
Solomon (10th century BCE, almost 3,000 years ago).
- Initially, they settled in Cranganore (present-day
Kodungallur in Thrissur district), which the community itself referred to
as Shingly.
·
The Jews in the region enjoyed several
economic and ceremonial privileges.
- After the arrival of the Portuguese
in the 16th century, Malabar Jews moved further south from Cranganore to
Cochin (Kochi).
Paradesi
Jewish
- Paradesi Jewish or “foreign” Jews,
migrated to the Indian subcontinent in the 15th and 16th centuries from
the Iberian Peninsula.
- They fled to India due to persecution
by the Catholic rulers of Spain and Portugal, and settled on the
Malabar coast alongside pre-settled Jewish communities, as well as in
Madras (now Chennai).
- The Paradesi Jews of Cochin were
active in Kerala’s spice trade, and those settled in Madras were involved
in the trade of Golconda diamonds and other precious stones.
Dwindling
population of Jews in India
- Unlike Jewish communities in Europe
or West Asia, in India they seldom faced persecution. Instead they rose to
high positions as agents of foreign trade, and advisers to Dutch and Hindu
rulers.
- Later, during British rule, Jews
in Kerala prospered as merchants and were employed as teachers,
clerks, and lawyers in the ever-expanding British bureaucracy.
- However, since the 1950s, there has
been a steady migration of Kerala Jews to Israel.
Historical
Context:
- The earliest Jewish settlers in India
were believed to be traders from the Middle East who arrived on the
Malabar Coast in the 1st century CE. These Jews are known as the Cochin
Jews, and their community flourished in Kerala for centuries. Other Jewish
communities, such as the Bene Israel and the Baghdadi Jews, settled in
other parts of India over the years.
- The Jews first came to Telangana and
then to Amaravati around 300 years ago. Only Machilipatnam in the Krishna
district and Kothareddypalem near Chebrolu in the Guntur district are home
to the Telugu Jewish population.
- The residents of the village consider
themselves to be “Bene Ephraim,” one of Israel’s lost tribes
Cultural
Contributions:
- Jews in India have made significant
cultural and religious contributions over the centuries. The Cochin Jews,
for instance, developed a unique Jewish tradition that incorporated Indian
customs and practices.
- The Bene Israel, who settled in
the state of Maharashtra, developed a distinct style of Jewish worship and
music that was influenced by Indian culture.
Jewing
emigration from India:
·
The rise of Indian nationalism that
accompanied sovereignty made some Jews uncomfortable, as they identified more
as British than Indian.
·
This, coupled with the creation of the
State of Israel in 1948, saw many Jews leave India.
·
Despite such heavy Jewish emigration, Jews
continued to play an active role in Indian life throughout the latter half of
the 20th century.
Jewish
community in India today:
·
India is home to 3 historically
distinct Jewish communities: the Bene Israel ("Sons of
Israel"), the Cochin Jews, and the Baghdadi Jews, and is projected to
comprise 4,000–5,000 people now.
·
Among these, almost all belong to
the Marathi-speaking Bene Israel community, settled on the Konkan
coast for hundreds of years.
· However, the honour of being the oldest Jewish
of India goes to one of Kerala’s two main Jewish communities
(Malabar/ Cochin Jews).
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-culture/history-of-keralas-jewish-communities-who-are-paradesi-jew-indias-jewish-population-9510422/