Jews lived in India for 2000 years, when they migrated to Israel they had to face discrimination, even marriage was banned.

India has been home to many religious communities. Jews are also one of them. Many Jews settled in India continue to claim that their ancestors came here 2000 years ago. They came from outside the modern territorial boundaries of India and made it their home. He lived in India for centuries. Scholars have often pointed out that India is the only place in the world where Jews have never faced anti-Semitism.

However, much changed after India’s independence in 1947 and the establishment of Israel in 1948. Jews consider Israel their holy land. After the establishment of the new country, Israel gave indications to the Jews to come and settle in the Holy Land. After this a large number of Indian Jews decided to go to Israel.

There were many reasons for the migration of Jews from India. Some went in search of better economic prospects, some in despair of the British leaving India, while some were attracted by the religious call of Israel. India–Israel relations after 1948 were influenced not only by those Jews who chose to remain in India, but also by those who decided to leave.

Four types of Jews lived in India

Before we know the story of the Jews who migrated from India to Israel, let us know some facts. All the Jews living in India did not belong to one sect. There were four main sects of Jews in India.

1. Cochin Jews: It is said about them that they first came to India in 50 AD.

2. Bene Israel: This was the largest sect of Jews in terms of numbers. They were settled around Maharashtra and Konkan.

3. Baghdadi Jews: This was the last Jewish sect to go to Israel from India. These were mostly settled in port cities, such as Calcutta, Bombay and Rangoon (now Myanmar).

4. Bani Menashe: This sect of Jews settled in the north-east.

There were significant differences in origin, socio-economic background and cultural traditions among these four sects of Jews in India. There were deep disagreements among these sects on many issues. They also humiliated each other. When these Jews arrived in Israel, many faced discrimination, especially in the early decades.

What did Indian Jews have to face?

Most of the Jews who settled in Israel were of European origin. Most were white. Among the Indian Jews, the Jews of the Bene Israel sect had to face the most discrimination. There are records of approximately 2,300 Bene Israelis migrating to Israel between 1948 and 1952.

By the late 1950s, numerous media reports documented the racism facing the Bene Israeli community in Israel. Shifra Strizower, a Jewish scholar, has written that in fact, in the early 1950s, many Bene Israelis were having difficulty adjusting to the newly formed country. They were facing discrimination in getting jobs and houses. They say they were not told before the exodus what life would be like in Israel.

The Jews of the Bene Israel sect were treated differently from the Cochin Jews who had come from India. The Cochin Jews were believed to have gone to Israel for religious reasons. While Bene Israel Jews were said to have moved to the new country to improve their economic situation. Bene Israel Jews were considered neither Zionists nor religious.

Ban on marrying a Jewish girl

The greatest insult to the Bene Israel came when in 1960 Sephardic Chief Rabbi Itzhak Nis Im refused to recognize the Bene Israel as Jews and forbade them from marrying other Jews. His stance was later challenged by a civil rights movement. Due to pressure from the Israeli government and the Jewish community, the Sephardic chief had to change his decision.

In the coming years, a large population of Bene Israel remained in Israel but they appeared neither politically active nor economically prosperous.

Even after coming from India…

The Jews who migrated from India to Israel faced many difficulties. Despite this, a large population stayed there and kept alive the aspects of Indian culture that they took with them. Currently about 85,000 Jews of Indian origin live in Israel. A large section of them shows a glimpse of Indian language, food and culture. There is a great craze for Indian cinema, especially Bollywood films and songs, among the Indian Jewish community in Israel.