 "Mumbai's oldest synagogue, the 'Gate of Mercy' on Samuel Street")
But why can't we see the Torah? There are so many of us here," a little boy, among a group of schoolchildren touring the 137-year-old "Gate of Heaven" in Thane, wanted to know from the synagogue's secretary, Ezra Moses.
The holy books can only be taken out of their decorative cabinet on days of special prayer, and the quorum of 10 people required for this event can only constitute adult men of the Jewish faith, Moses remembers explaining.
While the boy's question shows childish innocence and curiosity, it could reflect, to an extent, the wider lack of awareness about the life and ways of Indian Jews. The rapidly-dwindling orthodox community, which counts fewer than 5,000 members now, was only recently granted minority status by the state of Maharashtra.
The Thane synagogue is perhaps the only one around the city that has no trouble gathering the minyan or minimum number of people required for special services: some 1,800 of the roughly 4,000 Jews in Mumbai are in this region.
As people move to the suburbs or out of the country, similar places of worship in South Mumbai are struggling to summon enough devotees.
The history of Jews in Maharashtra dates back to 2,200 years ago, based on some accounts, and their small numbers today easily made a case for minority status. Despite the delayed grant of these rights, however, the community has never felt misunderstood or unwelcome.
There are three major sects in the country, most Jews begin to explain, with a readiness that seems to have developed from habit.
The first of the Bene Israel - who form the bulk of the population in Maharashtra - are believed to have been washed onto the Konkan coast after a shipwreck. According to an essay by journalist Sifra Samuel Lentin in the book India's Jewish Heritage, written records say the Bene Israel first arrived in the city in 1749.
The Baghdadi Jews, who came from Iraq for reasons of trade, settled mostly in Mumbai and Kolkata. The Cochin Jews, who have varied origins, lived along the Malabar Coast.
"Overall in the country, there is not much knowledge about Jews but wherever there is a Jewish population, like in Mumbai, there is more awareness," says Ofira Reuben, an event coordinator, who moved from Thane to Israel some months ago. "Every time I met a new person, there would always be questions."
reading from the Torah at ‘Gate of Heaven’
The new minority status may not have significant effect in areas of education or employment where members of the community have traditionally never faced problems, but it is expected to bring bureaucratic ease. In the census or during registration of births, marriages, or deaths, they will no longer be incorrectly classified as "Christians" or listed simply under "others".
Throughout his career, popular Mumbai-based radio jockey Jeeturaaj has revealed little about himself, always obscuring his face in pictures with objects like sunglasses or headphones. But soon after the recognition of Jews as a minority, he talked about a rare, intimate side of his life on air.
His mother is of Jewish descent, he said, before recalling memories of going to the synagogue during festivals. He broke into Marathi on the Hindi show, and eventually began sobbing. "Come back to India," he appealed to Jewish people during his radio hour, "We need you here."
It was clear the government's token act had touched some people. Maharashtra, with a relatively healthy population of Jews, is the first state to make such a move. Other states have seen an irreparable decline in their numbers.
"Jews in Kolkata and in Cochin are too few in number to regenerate," says Jael Silliman, a Baghdadi Jew from Kolkata, who has documented the community's legacy in an online archive called www.jewishcalcutta.in.
The first immigrations had taken place during the British Raj as the Jews saw good economic and socio-cultural future in Kolkata, she notes. As socialism took hold following Independence, the Jews, most of them wealthy, left for the UK, USA and Australia.
Moreover, the newly-founded state of Israel at the time appealed to Jews everywhere to contribute towards nation-building. That exodus dramatically reduced the city's Jewish population from 5,000 to 600-700. About 20 of them remain today.
Mumbai’s oldest synagogue, the ‘Gate of Mercy’ on Samuel Street
There are concerns in Mumbai too. The city's oldest synagogue, the "Gate of Mercy" on Samuel Street, built in 1796, was the centre for ceremonies of baby-naming and circumcision.
The Jewish influence on this neighbourhood is evidenced in the presence of two more synagogues at distances of within ten minutes. In fact, the local railway station "Masjid" got its name from "mashaed", the Bene Israel word for synagogue.
But like the Keneseth Eliyahoo, its more ornate Baghdadi counterpart in Kala Ghoda, the "Gate of Mercy" has transformed mainly into an offbeat tourist attraction. Groups ranging from two people to 25 or 30 come there in the winter months.
Everything inside, including caretaker Emmanuel Samuel, is many years old. This is the only synagogue with a kind of keyhole from where visitors can see the slow-burning flame of a sacred "eternal lamp", which Samuel keeps alive with regular doses of oil.
Also visible is the need for a paint job and serious repairs. For several months, prayers have been irregular here. Fresh effort is being made to look into boosting attendance.
The structure will be revived before the Jewish New Year in October, says new secretary Samuel Wasker. Elsewhere in the city too, synagogues have started calling community members in advance to secure their participation in upcoming services and events.
Only Thane has the opposite problem. Affordable housing and access to Jewish facilities like a "kosher" meat shop has meant a big inflow of people from Dongri, Mazgaon, Byculla and Nagpada.
During the high holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), more than 500 people attend services here, secretary and trustee Moses notes. The pharmaceuticals marketing veteran is barrel-chested, considers questions with a business-like nod, and halts the conversation every now and then to find and share relevant internet links on WhatsApp.
A new wing with meeting rooms and an auditorium had to be added to cater to the growing community, he says.
In contrast to the lull observed at the Masjid synagogue, the gatherings here are still ceremonial. Men wear kippahs and prayer shawls and recite from books until the reading from the Sefer Torah begins.
The Jews are perceived as a quiet, close-knit and industrious people. From traditional oil tapping and agriculture, they moved to work in trade, the armed forces, diplomacy, government service, technology and the arts.
Documents from the period of British rule show that Indian Jews were seen as "Europeans" and placed higher up in administration. Some of the most notable contributions to the city were made by the Jewish trader David Sassoon and his family from the 1830s to early 1900s.
They built the clock tower in the Jijamata Udyan in Byculla, David Sassoon Library in Kala Ghoda and the Sassoon docks at Colaba. Some were involved in entertainment too.
There was the silent-era film star Hannock Isaac Satamkar, as also actress Nadira known for Shree 420 (1955) and Pakeezah (1972). Another familiar face was that of character actor David Abraham Cheulkar, who appeared in many films including Boot Polish (1954) and Gol Maal (1979). Dancer and former censor board chief Leela Samson belongs to the community too.
Six Indian Jews have been awarded the Padma Shri over the years, says Ralphy Jhirad, adding, with marked pride, that this is remarkable for such a tiny population.
Jhirad and his wife Yael are among those actively promoting research on the heritage and genealogy of Mumbai's Jews. They host guests from around the world at their Nepean Sea Road residence, especially on festival days, and show them around the major Jewish monuments.
The population was not always as low as 5,000, however. At one point during British rule, they numbered 35,000, he notes. The numbers of Indian Jews around the world totals 200,000 today, the vast majority of which is in Israel.
Jhirad is tall and strapping, a national-level rifle shooter until, in the way of most well-meaning parents, his father coaxed him to move to a more lucrative career in software.
When Jhirad visits the Mantralaya for work, people are thrown off by the fact that he speaks fluent Marathi despite his Western-sounding name. But then, the Bene Israelis have spoken the language for years. They have sung Jewish kirtans (hymns) in Marathi and have taken the language to the Tel Aviv university.
Jhirad teamed up with Nissim Moses last year to publish a book detailing the achievements of Jewish personalities, past and present.
Their last names such as Nagaonkar or Divekar are usually drawn from the village. Most Jews lived in Raigad, says historian Deepak Rao (who still refers to the district by its erstwhile name Kolaba), before spreading their wings in other cities.
The blue star of David and the mezuzah (a piece of parchment in a case) signify Jewish family homes. Apart from sharing the local language, the Bene Israel have also incorporated some other local practices such as making puran poli (a Maharashtrian sweet) for the New Year. They refrain from eating beef too, Jhirad observes.
Interestingly, on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the Jewish prayer also includes an appeal for the well-being and success of the president, prime minister and chief ministers of India.
The exchange between India and Israel has risen over the years. Researchers have been recording the history of Indian Jews there. Nissim Moses has created a detailed directory of Indian Jews that is referenced by a museum and universities in Tel Aviv.
The pursuit of improved education and lifestyle continues to lead young Jews like Ofira Reuben to Israel and other countries including Australia, Canada and the United States. Their parents often follow suit.
Some hope that the minority status will open up opportunities and convince youths to stay back. "Israel is our fatherland, but India is our motherland," says Jhirad.
His eyebrows and voice rise as he adds, "If you ask me whether I would ever leave India, my answer is always a capital NO."
Avishek Rakshit contributed to this report
