JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

translator of Hebrew liturgical works into Marathi. One of
the earliest liturgical works to be printed was by a Yemenite
Jew from Cochin, Solomon Shara’bi, Seliḥot According to the
Sephardi Rite (1841). It was followed by the publication of the
Hebrew calendar (Luaḥ, 1845) and the first Passover Haggadah
(1846, facsimile reprinted by W.J. Fischel, 1968) with a
Marathi translation. From the last decade of the 19th century
the Bene Israel published a number of journals and periodicals
in Marathi and English. Some of them were short-lived, but
The Israelite continued from 1917 to 1927; The Friend of Israel
lasted from 1916 to 1921; The Maccabi from 1946 to 1971.
In the first half of the 20th century some Bene Israel participated
in the Indian nationalist movement.
Bene Israel who have received the Padma Shri, one of
the highest awards of the Government of India, awarded on
Indian Independence Day to outstanding individuals in various
fields of endeavor are (1) Dr. (Miss) Jerusha Jacob Jhirad,
in 1966, for her work in gynecology and for her services
in social welfare; (2) Mr. David Abraham Cheulkar, in 1969,
for his character acting in Indian films; and (3) Dr. Reuben
David Dandekar, in 1975, for his outstanding work and originality
as superintendent of the Ahmedabad Zoo. (A fourth
Indian Jew to receive the Padma Shri Award is a member of
the Baghdadi Jewish community of Bombay: Mr. Ezra Mir, in
1970, for his outstanding work in making Indian documentary
films and children’s documentaries.) Among the many
other Bene Israel who have achieved careers of distinction in
India are Khan Bahadur Jacob Bapuji Israel, who as chief administrator
in the State of Aundh, made specific innovations
for rural development many decades before similar reforms
were begun elsewhere; Shalom Bapuji Israel, who from ordinary
police constable rose to be Dewan of Janjira State; Dr.
Abraham Solomon Erulkar, an ardent nationalist, who had attended
upon Mahatma Gandhi during almost all of his fasts
(not as Gandhi’s personal physician) especially in his capacity
as then president of the Indian Medical Council; David Solomon
Erulkar who was the Junior Council for-the-defense in
the famous trial of the freedom-fighter Lokamanya B.G. Tilak
(a Hindu), working together with the Senior Council in
the case, a famous Muslim, Muhammed Ali Jinnah. Erulkar
was also on the governing body of the International Labor
Organization of the League of Nations. He founded The Israelite
magazine. David Ezra Reuben secured first place in the
competitive examination for admission to the Indian Civil
Service in 1917. He was the only Bene Israel ever to serve in
the ICS. He was made Chief Justice in 1951 of the Patna Court
(in Bihar State). Miss Rebecca Reuben obtained her T.D. degree
from London University; was principal of the Israelite
School 1922–1950; issued a monthly journal for Jewish children,
called Nofeth (written in Marathi it served as an excellent
tool for education in things Jewish); authored highly successful
series of English readers for secondary schools, also
a grammar, and guides for teachers; Dr. Elijah Moses, Mayor
of Bombay 1937–1938. Several officers in the Indian Army,
Navy and Air Force, notably including Vice Admiral Benja-
bene israel
min Abraham Samson, former Commandant of the Indian
Defense Academy, who commanded the Western Fleet during
hostilities with Pakistan in 1965, subsequently managing
director of the Mazagaon Docks where he supervised the
construction of the first two Indian-built frigates; Major General
Jonathan Reuben Samson of the Indian Engineers, now
general manager of the Armored Vehicle Factory at Avadi,
Madras; Dr. Sarah Jacob, principal of the Jaipur Government
Medical College; Dr. Eliezar Moses Best, dean of B.J. Medical
College and superintendent of Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad;
Mrs. Meera Jacob Mahadevan, author and innovative social
worker who conceived of and developed a network of Mobile
Creches and Schools for the impoverished, neglected children
of itinerant laborers; Solomon Shalom Aptekar, popular
author and playwright of the 1920s; Joseph David Penkar,
pioneer in the Indian screen industry, script and song writer;
Nissim Ezekiel, highly rated Indian poet writing in English,
editor, art critic, playwright, reader in American Literature at
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) University; Dr. Esther Solomon,
Ph.D., Sanskritist at Gujarat University; Samuel Israel, director
of the National Book Trust of India since 1974; Ezra Kolet,
formerly in government service in the Finance Ministry, later
in the Ministry of Shipping and Transport as chief comptroller
of chartering and as additional secretary to the ministry, the
moving spirit of the Delhi Jewish community, and founder,
secretary and violinist of the Delhi Symphony Orchestra; and
Judah Reuben, India’s only Jewish umpire (cricket), member
of the All India Panel of Umpires.
Most Bene Israel congregations became affiliated (in reality
very loosely) either with the World Council of Synagogues
(Conservative) or with the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations.
A significant development in the religious field
was the establishment in 1925 of the Jewish Religious Union
in Bombay by Dr. Jerusha Jhirad who, upon her return from
medical training in England, used the London organization
as the prototype. In Bombay this was an entirely spontaneous
move without outside financial help, though prayer books and
other literature were obtained from the Liberal Jewish Synagogue
of London. The Bombay Jewish Religious Union was
one of the founder members of the World Union for Progressive
Judaism (established in 1926) and made a small annual
contribution toward its expenses. In the 1950s the Bombay
congregation’s own funds were supplemented with financial
aid from circles of Progressive Judaism outside India and from
Sassoon Trust Funds, all of which enabled the Bombay Jewish
Religious Union, now called Congregation Rodef Shalom,
to obtain premises of its own and the services of two young
rabbis, both graduates of *Hebrew Union College. In August
1957 Rabbi Hugo Gryn (for more than two full years), followed
by Rabbi Elisha Nattiv (for about three years) ministered to
this congregation and exerted an influence among the Jews
of Bombay far beyond the three hundred members of Congregation
Rodef Shalom.
The first contacts of the Bene Israel with the modern
Zionist movement go back to the time of Theodor Herzl. In
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