by R Feynman
This November, I had the opportunity to go to India, paid for by my work. After I was done with the work part, I was able to stay for another two weeks of vacation, which I decided to spend in Mumbai.
I chose Mumbai largely because it is home to most of the Jewish population of India and it has notable Jewish history. Although India is a vast and multicultural country, there aren't large Jewish populations in most of it. I went on a tour with a local Jewish tour guide to learn the history and present of Jews in Mumbai, and I'll share some of what I learned! I also went to services at Knesseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, which was a really fascinating cultural experience which I'll talk about as well. I don’t have citations for most of this stuff aside from “Hanna told me,” but I link to relevant wikipedia articles throughout.
Mumbai has had two fairly distinct Jewish communities throughout its history. The first, Bene Israel, is a community of Indian Jews. It is said that their ancestors were Jews that washed ashore in a shipwreck and kept what they remembered of their customs - primarily, not working on shabbat, and some basic kashrut. They largely went into the oil pressing business and were called “Saturday oil-pressers” because they were the oil pressers who, notably, didn’t work on Saturday. At some point they were connected to a more normative Sephardi practice, but they maintain practices that are unique to them and their long standing relationships with their Indian Muslim and Hindu neighbors. Hanna, our tour guide, is Bene Israel. The lamps in their synagogues all use coconut oil, in connection with their history as oil-pressers.
The other distinct Jewish community is descended from Baghdadi Jews. Several Baghdadi Jews, particularly the Sassoon family, did well for themselves in business and trading in Mumbai. David Sassoon in particular financed the construction of schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community spaces. The Sassoons assimilated less, maintaining the dress and behavior of their Baghdadi origins.
Here are pictures of the David Sassoon Library, including his bust above the door:
I chose Mumbai largely because it is home to most of the Jewish population of India and it has notable Jewish history. Although India is a vast and multicultural country, there aren't large Jewish populations in most of it. I went on a tour with a local Jewish tour guide to learn the history and present of Jews in Mumbai, and I'll share some of what I learned! I also went to services at Knesseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, which was a really fascinating cultural experience which I'll talk about as well. I don’t have citations for most of this stuff aside from “Hanna told me,” but I link to relevant wikipedia articles throughout.
Mumbai has had two fairly distinct Jewish communities throughout its history. The first, Bene Israel, is a community of Indian Jews. It is said that their ancestors were Jews that washed ashore in a shipwreck and kept what they remembered of their customs - primarily, not working on shabbat, and some basic kashrut. They largely went into the oil pressing business and were called “Saturday oil-pressers” because they were the oil pressers who, notably, didn’t work on Saturday. At some point they were connected to a more normative Sephardi practice, but they maintain practices that are unique to them and their long standing relationships with their Indian Muslim and Hindu neighbors. Hanna, our tour guide, is Bene Israel. The lamps in their synagogues all use coconut oil, in connection with their history as oil-pressers.
The other distinct Jewish community is descended from Baghdadi Jews. Several Baghdadi Jews, particularly the Sassoon family, did well for themselves in business and trading in Mumbai. David Sassoon in particular financed the construction of schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community spaces. The Sassoons assimilated less, maintaining the dress and behavior of their Baghdadi origins.
Here are pictures of the David Sassoon Library, including his bust above the door:
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The library is in an artsy district with a lot of galleries and street art fairs called Kala Goda.
On the tour, we visited two Bene Israel synagogues, two synagogues built by the Sassoons, and the Chabad house, among other things. Security was high at all of these places: the tour guide had to register us ahead of time, and both Peter and I had to show our passports. This security is largely in response to a terrorist attack on Mumbai in 2008 which targeted several commercial and tourist hubs, and also the Chabad house.
I didn’t take pictures of all of the places, but I did at Tiphereth Israel, a Bene Israel shul. It is laid out in a Sephardi style with the bima in the middle of the room. Everything was heavily decorated in blue velvet and gold trim, with beautiful beadwork and embroidery. There was a ceremonial seat for Elijah next to the Aron at all of the synagogues we visited
On the tour, we visited two Bene Israel synagogues, two synagogues built by the Sassoons, and the Chabad house, among other things. Security was high at all of these places: the tour guide had to register us ahead of time, and both Peter and I had to show our passports. This security is largely in response to a terrorist attack on Mumbai in 2008 which targeted several commercial and tourist hubs, and also the Chabad house.
I didn’t take pictures of all of the places, but I did at Tiphereth Israel, a Bene Israel shul. It is laid out in a Sephardi style with the bima in the middle of the room. Everything was heavily decorated in blue velvet and gold trim, with beautiful beadwork and embroidery. There was a ceremonial seat for Elijah next to the Aron at all of the synagogues we visited
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I went for shabbat services to Knesseth Eliyahoo, one of the Baghdadi shuls (the blue one above). It was the first synagogue with a mechitza that I’ve been to since I started medically transitioning. While I was there, people assumed I’m a man, and I went with it. So, it was also my first time sitting in the men’s section.
The men took turns leading psukei, trading off in ways that didn’t seem obvious to me. One man would finish, and another would pick up without losing a beat. At some point, the man sitting across the aisle from me took my siddur, gave me his, tapped the page, and said “you?”. When the person leading stopped, they all turned and looked at me. I was like “oh, ashrei, I know this! Not the tune they use but that should be ok.” My friends, they had just finished Ashrei and wanted me to read a psalm I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before. I did my best, and the man across the aisle would say the words I was struggling with quietly so I could keep some kind of pace. Thankfully, it was a short one, but I appreciated being included in the community and trusted that I’d be able to contribute in that way. Having practice leading services at the Hav definitely made me feel more prepared than I would have been otherwise!
It was really powerful for me to be in a Jewish space where almost all of the people were people of color. I am and have been in community with Jews of color, of course, but this felt viscerally different.
At the same time, I felt less obviously out-of-place there than I did in other places in India. I didn’t totally know what was going on a decent amount of the time I was there, but in a familiar, “I’ve never been to this shul” way rather than in the more overwhelming “social customs, body language, basic manners, and the physical environment are completely different” way I felt in most of the rest of India.
I really appreciated the generosity and enthusiasm with which all of the people I met that shabbat greeted me. I’m grateful to have gotten to learn with Hanna the tour guide, and the gentleman named Al who helped me figure out where we were in the siddur several times. I’m grateful that I got to experience a shabbat in community in India, because my first two shabbatot were solo and quite lonely. I’m glad I got to feel a sense of connection in a city with a population nearly three times the state of Massachusetts. And I’m glad I got to bring it home to my community here, the Hav.
The men took turns leading psukei, trading off in ways that didn’t seem obvious to me. One man would finish, and another would pick up without losing a beat. At some point, the man sitting across the aisle from me took my siddur, gave me his, tapped the page, and said “you?”. When the person leading stopped, they all turned and looked at me. I was like “oh, ashrei, I know this! Not the tune they use but that should be ok.” My friends, they had just finished Ashrei and wanted me to read a psalm I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before. I did my best, and the man across the aisle would say the words I was struggling with quietly so I could keep some kind of pace. Thankfully, it was a short one, but I appreciated being included in the community and trusted that I’d be able to contribute in that way. Having practice leading services at the Hav definitely made me feel more prepared than I would have been otherwise!
It was really powerful for me to be in a Jewish space where almost all of the people were people of color. I am and have been in community with Jews of color, of course, but this felt viscerally different.
At the same time, I felt less obviously out-of-place there than I did in other places in India. I didn’t totally know what was going on a decent amount of the time I was there, but in a familiar, “I’ve never been to this shul” way rather than in the more overwhelming “social customs, body language, basic manners, and the physical environment are completely different” way I felt in most of the rest of India.
I really appreciated the generosity and enthusiasm with which all of the people I met that shabbat greeted me. I’m grateful to have gotten to learn with Hanna the tour guide, and the gentleman named Al who helped me figure out where we were in the siddur several times. I’m grateful that I got to experience a shabbat in community in India, because my first two shabbatot were solo and quite lonely. I’m glad I got to feel a sense of connection in a city with a population nearly three times the state of Massachusetts. And I’m glad I got to bring it home to my community here, the Hav.
R Feynman is a member of Havurat Shalom
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