DOCSLIB.ORG

Architecture As Social History: Jewish Built Heritage in Bombay and the Konkan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Architecture As Social History: Jewish Built Heritage in Bombay and the Konkan KEY WORDS: Jewish Heritage, Bene Israel, Baghdadi Jew, Bombay, Konkan, Social History Architecture as Social History: Jewish Built Heritage in Bombay and the Konkan Smita Dalvi Tekton Volume 5, Issue 2, September 2018 pp. 50 - 69 ABSTRACT Two distinct Jewish communities flourished in Bombay and the Konkan separated by their time of arrival and their social status- the Bene Israel and the Baghdadi Jews. Both built places of worship and in case of the latter many public buildings. Much of this built heritage survives today Smita Dalvi is a founding faculty of even though the population has dwindled due to outward MES Pillai College of Architecture, Navi migration. This paper attempts to examine the Jewish Mumbai and the editor of Tekton. She architectural heritage in Bombay and the Konkan with has been teaching architecture and an aim to recreate their social and economic history and aesthetics in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai. contribution to public life. In that, two attributes emerge which mark their presence in the social milieu of their times- Her research areas are in Architecture, syncretism and philanthropy. These are indicative of the History of Art & Culture, Urban Heritage architecture’s ability to communicate social characteristics. and has read and published papers and essays in conferences and several In the present time, how the same is perceived and sometime architectural and cultural journals. Her area transformed by the community is also indicative of the of special interest is Islamic architecture changed social scenario. and aesthetics. In 2007, she was awarded the fellowship of ‘Fulbright Visiting Specialist: Direct Access to the Muslim world’. Presently, she is pursuing her doctoral studies at IIT- Bombay. [email protected] 50 TEKTON: Volume 5, Issue 2, September 2018 Introduction unverifiable time while the Baghdadi Jews were Amongst the Jewish communities in India, the the Arabic speaking migrants who first arrived three most predominant are the Bene Israel, in the 18th century for trade purposes. The the Baghdadi Jews and the Cochin Jews. The latter two communities and their built heritage Bene Israel and the Baghdadi Jews were mainly form the focus of this paper. based in Bombay.1 They also inhabited Poona All three, Bene Israel, Baghdadi and Cochin All three, Bene Israel, Baghdadi Jews developed their distinct religious and and Cochin Jews developed social customs, while co-existing with and their distinct religious and social being influenced by other local communities. customs, while co-existing with They also built a number of places of worship and being influenced by other local and other public buildings, many of which communities. They also built a survive today, even though their population number of places of worship and has declined due to emigration. This paper other public buildings, many of attempts to examine the architecture of the which survive today, even though Beni Israel and the Baghdadi Jews in and their population has declined due around Bombay with an aim to recreate their to emigration. social and economic history and contribution and Calcutta in small pockets, and, in the to public life. What emerges when we view case of the Bene Israel, in many small towns built heritage of a community with a social lens along the Konkan Coast in Maharashtra. The is that it indicates certain attributes of their third community, the Cochin Jews were based communal and public life, showing that not further south on the Malabar Coast in Kerala. only architecture has a social purpose but also that it is shaped by people and their values. Romila Thapar (2003, p.368) writes about 10th-11th century copper-plate charters of the The Religious Built Heritage of the Jews Cheras (a kingdom in Kerala) that granted land in Bombay and the Konkan to Jewish traders such as Joseph Rabban, as Both, the Bene Israel and the Baghdadi Jews the earliest evidence of a Jewish community built several synagogues, prayer halls and settling in India. The Jews of Cochin came to cemeteries in and around Bombay. Most of India seeking trade. Thapar recounts Cairo the examples that remain are from the 19th Geniza records of around 1000 AD, where many century. Their places of worship and burial letters pertaining to business were written by are fairly generic, with common features and Jewish traders active in commerce with India. iconography related to ritual, devotion and Indians were partners or representatives of the tradition. Thus, a synagogue is a prayer hall Jewish merchants, and some of the latter spent normally located in fairly dense parts of the time in India and married locally (pp. 368-369). city or towns, usually close to Jewish mohallahs The Bene Israel is the Marathi speaking native or quarters. Here, the Torah is read every community in Bombay and surrounding region week round the year. The word ‘Torah’ usually believed to have landed here in a shipwreck at translates as ‘law’ or ‘teaching’ and consists of TEKTON: Volume 5, Issue 2, September 2018 51 Smita Dalvi Figure 1: Inside a Synagogue- A typical interior space with Hechal and Bimah. Magen Hassidim at Agripada and Shaar Harahamim at Mandvi, Bombay. the five books of the Hebrew Bible (Sherratt & Hechal is an arched niche directed towards Hawkin, 1972, p. 24). The essence of the Torah Jerusalem and Bimah is a platform. In the is encapsulated in the Ten Commandments, Hechal is placed the Ark – the holiest of objects which according to belief were delivered to in a synagogue – a container of handwritten parchment scrolls of the Torah. Each scroll In general, Baghdadi synagogues are is carefully dressed in protective textile and larger and monumental in scale, richly decorated with silver. Thus, the Hechal is a constructed in European Revival styles synagogue’s sacred space and the niche is and display grand interiors of rich usually draped over with a curtain above which materials. Bene Israel synagogues, on a burning oil lamp is suspended. During the the other hand, are usually modest, Sabbath prayer, the Ark is opened, the scrolls non-monumental, constructed are removed and ceremonially taken to the largely in timber frame with a tiled Bimah, where they are unrolled and read from. timber roof not unlike the domestic architecture of the locality. The Bimah is a platform from which the Moses in the form of two stone tablets. These Chazan or a minister leads the prayer and reads texts are explained to the faithful by scholars from Torah. The Rabbi, known as Kazi in the who apply its stories and instructions to Konkan, gives the sermon or teaches from contemporary Jewish living. the Torah. The Bimah is often situated in the middle of the prayer hall, in a free-standing As are commonly observed, the two essential manner and is edged by a carved wooden architectural features inside a synagogue are the railing. Seating is arranged on either side of Hechal and the Bimah (van Voolen, 2004, p. 12). the Bimah so that the whole congregation 52 TEKTON: Volume 5, Issue 2, September 2018 Architecture as Social History: Jewish Built Heritage in Bombay and the Konkan may see the Ark. On a mezzanine, there is the erstwhile Kolaba (now Raigad) District, south usually a separate gallery for women, which of Bombay.2 This group then settled around the may run on one or three sides of the hall area of their misfortune, and over time, their and is supported on pillars. This makes the descendants flourished, adopting the profession central space of the prayer hall twice as high of oil pressing and farming. sometimes soaring to the roof, and more commonly ending at a boarded, ornamented According to Edwardes (1909) the Bene Israel ceiling of timber (Figure 1). “multiplied and spread themselves throughout the coast-hamlets of the Kolaba District, forgetting Most synagogues in and around Bombay follow in the process of years most of their traditional these basic norms. What changes from place customs, excepting the hereditary observance to place are the size, scale, style and manner of of the Sabbath, the rite of circumcision, and the construction. In general, Baghdadi synagogues memory of the prophet Elijah and the Day of are larger and monumental in scale, richly Atonement.” (pp. 247-248). They practiced their constructed in European Revival styles and religion in isolation from the developments in display grand interiors of rich materials. Bene Judaism in the rest of the world, not having a Israel synagogues, on the other hand, are copy of the five holy books of Pentateuch and usually modest, non-monumental, constructed only much later receiving “the Hebrew liturgy largely in timber frame with a tiled timber from the Arabian Jews visiting Bombay.” (Wilson, roof not unlike the domestic architecture of 1874, p. 322). Thus, as Jews, the Bene Israel the locality. Their interiors have carved timber are distinct in terms of practices, rituals and details and coloured glass lamps, and these traditions; adapting into the community life of create a sacred environment. The Bene Israel the Konkan and adopting several traditions of and Baghdadi synagogues not only indicate other religions around them as their own. These two distinct architectural traditions but distinguishing features were seen in contrast also highlight the social distinctions (and much later by the Jews of Cochin. “…they found histories) of the two Jewish communities the Bene Israel at Rajapuri when they first came predominant in Bombay. to India, and their distinct position among the various native races taken with their partial The Bene Israel: Origins adoption of Hindu usages points to a very ancient The Bene Israel (Children of Israel) have, even occupation.” (Nairne, 1894, p. 7). According to before the the rise of Bombay, been integral to John Wilson (1874), the Bene Israel “till lately community life on the west coast of the Konkan, viewed the designation of Yehudi or Jew, as one of mingling with Muslims and Hindus, with Parsees reproach.” (p.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Christians and Jews in Muslim Societies
    Arabic and its Alternatives Christians and Jews in Muslim Societies Editorial Board Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA) Bernard Heyberger (EHESS, Paris, France) VOLUME 5 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/cjms Arabic and its Alternatives Religious Minorities and Their Languages in the Emerging Nation States of the Middle East (1920–1950) Edited by Heleen Murre-van den Berg Karène Sanchez Summerer Tijmen C. Baarda LEIDEN | BOSTON Cover illustration: Assyrian School of Mosul, 1920s–1930s; courtesy Dr. Robin Beth Shamuel, Iraq. This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided no alterations are made and the original author(s) and source are credited. Further information and the complete license text can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ The terms of the CC license apply only to the original material. The use of material from other sources (indicated by a reference) such as diagrams, illustrations, photos and text samples may require further permission from the respective copyright holder. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Murre-van den Berg, H. L. (Hendrika Lena), 1964– illustrator. | Sanchez-Summerer, Karene, editor. | Baarda, Tijmen C., editor. Title: Arabic and its alternatives : religious minorities and their languages in the emerging nation states of the Middle East (1920–1950) / edited by Heleen Murre-van den Berg, Karène Sanchez, Tijmen C. Baarda. Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2020. | Series: Christians and Jews in Muslim societies, 2212–5523 ; vol.
    [Show full text]
  • The Victoria and Albert Museum Bombay: a Study in Aspiration, Cooperation and Enervation Alexander Foster
    The Victoria and Albert Museum Bombay: a study in aspiration, cooperation and enervation Alexander Foster Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 71–101 | ISSN 2050-487X | www.southasianist.ed.ac.uk www.southasianist.ed.ac.uk | ISSN 2050-487X | pg. 71 Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 50–101 The Victoria and Albert Museum Bombay: a study in aspiration, cooperation and enervation Alexander Foster [email protected] The Victoria and Albert Museum and Victoria Gardens is a significant Colonial institution, which reflects the aspirations and failings of the Indian and British elites that controlled late nineteenth century Bombay. The Museum crystallises the responses of these individuals to changes in thinking in Britain and its Indian Empire. As time passed, and each decision was made, the Museum evolved, in reaction to changes in the current social, economic, and political events of Bombay, Britain, and the Empire. Furthermore, the effect of these decisions and the fluctuating changes in opinion were dramatically reflected in the development of the Museum due to the slow progress of the building over a decade from 1858 to 1872. Figure 1. The V&A Museum (left). Photograph, Francis Figure 2. Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (V&A) (right). Frith, approximately 1870s. Web, Victoria and Albert Photograph, Alexander Foster, 18/04/2012 Museum (London), 07/09/2012. http://collections.vam.ac.uk www.southasianist.ed.ac.uk | ISSN 2050-487X | pg. 72 Introduction that subsequently became part of the V&A. he Victoria and Albert Museum Due to the Indian Mutiny (10th May 1857- (V&A) and Victoria Gardens is a approximately 1859), an economic boom T beautiful gilded Colonial structure (approximately 1857-1865), and the effects of now lost in the heart of Bombay.
    [Show full text]
  • The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India) No 1480
    Consultations ICOMOS consulted its International Scientific Committees The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble on Shared Built Heritage, on 20th Century Heritage, on of Mumbai Historic Towns and Villages, and several independent experts. (India) No 1480 Technical Evaluation Mission A technical evaluation mission from ICOMOS visited the nominated property from 6 to 11 September 2017. Additional information received by ICOMOS Official name as proposed by the State Party A letter was sent from ICOMOS to the State Party on The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai 1 August 2017 requesting updated information on the nomination dossier, particularly on issues of protection Location management and conservation. Also, additional Mumbai, Maharashtra State information was requested regarding the boundaries of India the property and the buffer zone, justification for inscription, the resolution of the submitted maps, and Brief description questions about management and protection. A The demolition of the fortifications of Bombay in the 1860s response with additional information was received by marked the transformation of the city from a fortified ICOMOS from the State Party on 5 September 2017. outpost into a world class commercial centre and made available land for development. A group of public An Interim Report was sent to the State Party on buildings was built in the Victorian Gothic style and the 22 December 2017 and the State Party provided open green space of the Oval Maidan was created. The ICOMOS with additional information on 13 February th Backbay Reclamation Scheme in the early 20 century 2018. The information submitted has been incorporated offered a new opportunity for Bombay to expand to the in the relevant sections of this report.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of the David Sassoon Industrial School
    Volume 11, July 2020 ISSN 2581-5504 “Formulating recommendations to David Sasson Industrial School on the choice of appropriate strategy to help the Juvenile residents” Abhishek Chatterjee LNJN National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION In welfare state, the major responsibility for setting up correctional institutions for promoting the physical, cultural and emotional growth of children rests primarily with the state and state only. When the family is disrupted and disintegrated, the children fall into antisocial ways and the need arises for keeping them in correctional institutions. A correctional institution for youthful offenders is a place for care, treatment and social re- education of the juvenile who get into trouble with the law. In order to treat antisocial behavior, it becomes expedient to take the child out of his environment and place him in a correctional institution. Such correctional institutions were pioneered by the voluntary organizations in the former State of Bombay. The David Sassoon Industrial School, Bombay (Mumbai), is a juvenile correctional institution managed by the Children’s Aid Society, a voluntary organization. Statements of the problems In 1832, David Sassoon (1792-1864) and his family arrived in Bombay (today Mumbai) after fleeing the persecutions of the ruler of Baghdad, Daud Pasha. This wealthy merchantman, who founded a dynasty known as the “Rothschilds of the East”, was also named the Prince of the Exilarch. David Sassoon began his sojourn in Bombay at 9 Tamarind Street (today non-existent) within the precincts of the city (the Fort walls were destroyed in 1862). He soon moved to Byculla’s bungalow Sans Souci, a former palace named Shin Sangoo, (today Massina Hospital); he also spent the summer months in his second home in Poona (today Pune).
    [Show full text]
  • Mumbai Port Trust Reinforces Sassoon Dock Gate, City's Historic Glory
    MUMBAI PORT TRUST Mumbai Port Trust reinforces Sassoon Dock Gate, city’s historic glory. In its endeavor to keep the glorious past of the city of Mumbai preserved in today's time, the MbPT, which shares 141 years long symbiotic relationship with the city, took charge of fortifying the first gateway to the city's sea trade the Sassoon Dock, reaffirming its historic importance.. Excavated out of solid rock by the company of Sir David Sassoon and named after him, the Sassoon Dock situated at Colaba in South Mumbai was the first wet dock accommodation constructed in about 1870 for commercial purposes. Opening of Suez Canal for traffic in November 1869 established a new sea trade route between the Europe and India reducing the distance by half and revolutionized the maritime trade. The first British Merchant vessel making its passage through the Suez Canal ' Glasgow Herald' was berthed at this historic Sassoon Dock. Until construction of the Prince's Dock in 1875-80, the sea trade to the city of Mumbai was carried out from the Sasoon Dock, which could accommodate 5 ships of thousand tonnes each. With the opening of the Prince's Dock for traffic in 1880, Mumbai Port Trust dedicated the Sassoon Dock to the city of Mumbai as a safe heaven for fishing activities by the city's ‘Koli’ Community. One of the most distinguishing features of the Sassoon Dock was its gateway with a centrally built clock tower flanked on either side by the gatehouses. Mumbai Port Trust carried out restorative repairs to the gate structure bringing it back to the original glory and also rejuvenated the historical clock installed in it at a total cost of Rs.25 lakhs.
    [Show full text]
  • Mumbai Local Sightseeing Tours
    Mumbai Local Sightseeing Tours HALF DAY MUMBAI CITY TOUR Visit Gateway of India, Mumbai's principle landmark. This arch of yellow basalt was erected on the waterfront in 1924 to commemorate King George V's visit to Mumbai in 1911. Drive pass the Secretariat of Maharashtra Government and along the Marine Drive which is fondly known as the 'Queen's Necklace'. Visit Jain temple and Hanging Gardens, which offers a splendid view of the city, Chowpatty, Kamala Nehru Park and also visit Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed during his visits to Mumbai. Drive pass Haji Ali Mosque, a shrine in honor of a Muslim Saint on an island 500 m. out at sea and linked by a causeway to the mainland. Stop at the 'Dhobi Ghat' where Mumbai's 'dirties' are scrubbed, bashed, dyed and hung out to dry. Watch the local train passing close by on which the city commuters 'hang out like laundry' ‐ a nice photography stop. Continue to the colorful Crawford market and to the Flora fountain in the large bustling square, in the heart of the city. Optional visit to Prince of Wales museum (closed on Mondays). TOUR COST : INR 1575 Per Person The tour cost includes : • Tour in Ac Medium Car • Services of a local English‐speaking Guide during the tour • Government service tax The tour cost does not include: • Entry fees at any of the monuments listed in the tour. The same would be on direct payment basis. • Any expenses of personal nature Note: The above tour is based on minimum 2 persons traveling together in a car.
    [Show full text]
  • Indian Library Association
    i •41 = ;• THE I" INDIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTH ALL-INDIA LIBRARY CONFEREKCE HELD IN BOMBAY FROM THE 3rd to the 6th April, 1942 THE LIBRARY BULLETIN The Bulletin is published quarterly by the Indian Library Association (January, April, July & October) and supplied to its members free of charge; but on payment in advance, of an annual subscription of Rs. 3, to others. • The rates of charges for advertisements are as follows :— Full Half Otr. Page. Page. Page. One quarter • • ... Rs. 15 Rs. 8 Rs. 5 Half year ... Rs. 25 Rs. 15 Rs. 8 One year ... Rs. 40 Rs. 25 Rs. 15 An advertiser shaU be entitled to a free copy of the issue in which his advertisement < appears. CONTENTS Proceedtogs.— PAGE Opening Session ... ... 5 Second Session ... ... 6 Third Session ... ... 10 Fourth Session ... ... 14 Fifth Session ... ... ... ... 20 Appendices.— I. Lists o£ members of the Reception and other Committees. ... ... ... ... 34 II. Accounts ... ... ... ... 41 III. List of Delegates ... ... ... 43 IV. Programme ... ... ... ... 51 V. Addresses: 1. Address delivered on the occasion of opening the Exhibition of "BOOK IN INDIA" by Mr. K. M. Munshi ... ... ... 56 2. Address dehvered by Diwan Bahadur Krishnalal M. Jhaveri, Chairman, Reception Committee ... 59 3. Opening address dehvered by Mr. R. P. Masani ... 61 VI. Messages ... ... ... ... 65 VII. Papers- Part I: List of Papers received ... ... 69 Part II: Summaries of certain Papers ... ... 71 Part III: Selected Papers- Reference Books: their definition and value— by Rao Sahib S. R. Ranganathan ... ... 86 Reference Books and Time Factor—by Mr. K. M. Sivaraman, Classifier, Madras University Library 94 Reference Books and nascent thought—by Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Mumbai, Step by Step
    24 GOOD TO GO WALKING TOURS 25 including works of F. N. Souza (beyondbombay .in; US$46 per person). BOMBAY HERITAGE WALKS With its mix of styles ranging from Victorian and Gothic to Indo-Saracenic and the highest number of Art Deco buildings after Miami, Mumbai is a goldmine for architecture buffs. And those visiting the city should look to Bom- bay Heritage Walks, a group founded by local architects Abha Bahl and Brinda Gaitonde- Nayak that offers design-focused tours of the numerous landmarks concentrated in South Mumbai’s Fort district. Led by experts in archi- tecture and art history, the Horniman Circle Walk takes in a host of sights including the Asiatic Library, the Mumbai Samachar Marg (Asia’s oldest stock exchange), and St. Thomas Cathedral—all in just two hours. Bombay Heri- tage Walks has been the tour group of choice for numerous foreign dignitaries and Chelsea Clinton, though it’s also popular among Mum- bai residents thanks to an increasing interest in heritage conservation among locals (bombay heritagewalks.com; US$40 per person). FOOD TOURS OF MUMBAI Some say the best way to discover a city is through its food, but in India, it’s easy to be fearful of being put out by a bad case of “Del- hi Belly” (or in this case, “Mumbai Malaise”). Thankfully, Mihir Govilkar comes to the rescue with Food Tours of Mumbai. His three-hour walking tours take you to the best street carts MUMBAI, and local restaurants in the Fort area, experi- encing not only Mumbai flavors and delicacies but also popular dishes from other Indian re- STEP BY STEP gions.
    [Show full text]
  • Pashmina Serene Tower
    https://www.propertywala.com/pashmina-serene-tower-mumbai Pashmina Serene Tower - Dadar East, Mumbai 3 BHK apartments available in Pashmina Serene Tower Pashmina Builders & Developers Pvt Ltd presents Pashmina Serene Tower with 3 BHK apartments available in Pashmina Serene Tower. Project ID : J404181190 Builder: Pashmina Builders & Developers Pvt Ltd Properties: Apartments / Flats Location: Pashmina Serene Tower, Dadar East, Mumbai - 400019 (Maharashtra) Completion Date: Jan, 2016 Status: Started Description Pashmina Serene is a new launch by Pashmina Builders & Developers Pvt Ltd. The project offers the most envious location in the heart of the bustling city of Mumbai. The project has 3 BHK apartments available in different sizes. With a high standard neighborhood combined with the vicinity of Five Gardens just adds on to the prestige of living. Amenities Garden Play Area 24 Hr Backup Security Intercom Rain Water Harvesting Gymnasium Pashmina - the famous Kashmiri wool known for its quality and class signifies the moving spirit behind Pashmina Developers. conceive, build and deliver residential, commercial and retail real estate properties with a signature touch. Every apartment, row house, villa, commercial and retail property of the group carries a signature touch by combining unique design aesthetics with the state-of- the-art construction techniques. Features Luxury Features Security Features Power Back-up Centrally Air Conditioned Lifts Security Guards Electronic Security RO System High Speed Internet Wi-Fi Intercom Facility Interior
    [Show full text]
  • Issue 02 (Nov-Dec 1971)
    The SCRIBE JOURNAL OF DESCENDANTS OF BABYLONIAN JEWRY VOL. I NO. 2 NOV|~MRER- DECE}II|ER 1971. EDITORIALS Syrian Jewry Arab Republics with Egypt and Libya (and Sudan?) founded in 1971. Syria has become a Soviet military The recent rapid deterioration in the position of and navaJ base from which the Soviet Union pursues Syria's 4,500-strong Jewish community gives cause its expansionist aims in the area. for serious concern. Twelve Jews are in gaol accused of trying to leave the country ilregaFJy. Torture and There is a remarkable similarity between the indignities of all kinds are inflicted on them. Many Soviet and Syrian policies vis-a-vis Jews -- (1) both members of the community, resident mainly in oppress the Jewish minorities in their m!dst, (2) Damascus, Aieppo and Kamishfy suffer under con- both are hostile to the Jewish State, (3) both are stant police surveillance, are subject to curfew and ruled by totalitarian regimes, and (4) both are allied sudden evictions to make way for Palestine Arabs, in the pursuit of certain common aims in the region. the elementary rights of freedom of movement and Since the Six Day War the Syrian Jewish community association are denied them, and they are prevented has been subjected to severe restrictions in all from engaging in normal business activity. It is im- spheres. It will be recaIled that in 1965 Syria publicly moral and incomprehensible that all this should not executed Elie Cohen, that remarkabre lsraeJi agent, be severely condemned and put to rights by the an Egyptian Jew who had emigrated to Israel a few international community with its United Nations years earlier.
    [Show full text]
  • A CJP Project Inspire & JDC Entwine Trip: Inside India December 18-27
    A CJP Project Inspire & JDC Entwine Trip: Inside India December 18-27, 2018 Participants must stay together as a group at all times and cannot travel around unaccompanied. During our trip to India, we will focus on connecting with and learning about the Bene Israel Indian Jewish community; a geographically isolated, ancient Jewish people primarily based in Mumbai, which traces its roots back to 586 B.C.E. We will travel the Mumbai region together, learn about programs initiated by JDC, and engage in cultural exchange with Indian Jewish young adults. This will allow us to gain a glimpse into different Jewish Indian perspectives and understand a little bit more about this historical community. India has a rich history of religious tolerance, and Jews have been able to practice their faith freely here for over 2,000 years. India’s huge population, extensive levels of poverty, and limited government-run social services have created significant social challenges. This has led to a collaboration between the Jewish community and JDC in which they created a community-based social welfare system. We’ll learn how Israel's work is interwoven throughout this hustling and bustling Indian metropolitan and the different ways in which Israel has become involved in humanitarian aid work and development across this region. Israel and India established full diplomatic relations in 1992. However, even before that, Israel had a Consulate in Mumbai, operating since 1953. Today, India is an important partner to Israel in the areas of politics, commerce, science and culture. MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, was established in 1958 as a manifestation of the Jewish concept of tikkun olam – repairing the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Van De Veer Seminar Text
    The Value of Comparison Lewis Henry Morgan Lectures 2013 ! Peter van der Veer ! Section I: The Fragment and the Whole ! Chapter 1: Introduction ! As is well known, Lewis Henry Morgan contributed substantially to the study of kinship and the study of social evolution. Today Morgan is still a household name among Chinese anthropologists due to the influence he has had on Marx and Engels. Morgan’s thought became part of Marxist orthodoxy and thus fundamental for the Communist Party’s approach to minorities in China. The Han majority was seen in evolutionary terms as more advanced than the minorities, a theory well suited to earlier civilizational ones. Superior in its material civilization (agriculture) it had the historical task to lead the minorities to higher development. It is an irony of history that the ghost of Morgan, a brilliant capitalist still haunts the academic institutions of Communist China. Fei Xiaotong, one of the fathers of Chinese anthropology, still asserted this theory in the 1980s and it continues to be one of the pillars of Chinese policy towards nationalities.1 Fei argues in his Tanner Lectures that an ethnic group, first known as Hua Xia and later as Han, which lived in the Yellow River area in Central China, expanded from this area by absorbing other groups. This became the nucleus of ‘the Chinese people’. The name ’Han’ came from the Han dynasty, 1 Fei Xiaotong's 1988 Tanner lecture in Hong Kong, "Plurality and Unity in the Configuration of the Chinese Nationality". !1 but only after the ethnicity had already been formed.
    [Show full text]