ISRAEL AND INDIA RELATIONSHIP GOING BACK TO THE PAST

agrasen

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RE: [aryayouthgroup] I stand proudly with Israel, a sister democracy which values freedom, rule of law and human rights

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aryasamaj shravah Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 6:25 AM
Reply-To: aryayouthgroup-owner@yahoogroups.com
To: aryayouthgroup-owner@yahoogroups.com, aryayouthgroup@yahoogroups.com
Cc: come@yahoo.com

Dear Mr, Kumar,

Thanks for writing such a nice article about the jewish connection with India. Most Indians are not aware of this. I was myself surprised to meet many leading jewish personalities in New York who actually happen to come from South India.

Regards

Ved







Prof. Dr. Ved Shravah
Albany, New York. U.S.A.






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To: aryayouthgroup@yahoogroups.com; aryayouthgroup-owner@yahoogroups.com
CC: Come@yahoo.com
From: kumar_8134@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 05:42:42 -0800
Subject: Re: Fwd: [aryayouthgroup] I stand proudly with Israel, a sister democracy which values freedom, rule of law and human rights


The Jews of India
Historically, the Jews migrated to India, first the traders by sea carrying spices from Malabar Coast and settling down in Kochi where the Community still continues to live. Last week a Jewish marriage was held in the Syanagogue at Kochi after many years.
The second mass migration to India was when the Jewish diaspora was dispersed by the Roman occupation before and after Jesus, main migration being to Southern France-Florence and from there to different European Countries as Austria..etc. Jews with trade connections migrated to India, settling in Bombay and Calcutta.
India has been a refuge of all refus thrown out of their Countries, be it Armenians under inquisition and burning on stakes by Christian missionaries or Persians and Afghans under Islamic sword of conversions. Syrians had migrated earlier to Malabar when threatened by the Roman invaders and settled in Kerala.
There are two distinct ancient Jewish communities in India. The Cochin Jews of South India, and the Beni Israel of West India.

The Cochin community may reach back to Biblical times. The merchant ships of King Solomon reached ports of the East, returning with spices, precious stones and rare flora and fauna. The ancient contacts between the land of Israel and India are supported by the several Hebrew words, which are common to the Indian Sanskrit and Tamil languages. The Cochin Jews have a tradition that tens of thousands of Jews arrived there after the destruction of the Second Temple.

For centuries the Cochin Jews never lost contact with mainstream Judaism. Their location near the ports of South India provided opportunities for outside interaction with travelers and merchants from Europe and the Middle East.

Documents found in the Cairo Geniza - book depository - indicate that between the 10th and 12th centuries commercial ties existed between Cochin Jews and Mediterranean communities.

In 1948, the community of some 2,500 Cochin Jews left to Israel. Presently, less than 100 Jews remain, living a twilight existence near the only functioning synagogue.

The origins of the Beni Israel Jews of West India are somewhat obscure. According to their tradition, their ancestors arrived by sea from the north, becoming shipwrecked and established the community near Bombay. For centuries they lived in isolation, until the middle of the 18th century, when they were discovered by a Cochin Jew, David Rahabi.

The Beni Israel had maintained many vestiges of Jewish practices - Shabbat and Holidays, some laws of Kashrut, and the prayer Shema Yisrael. Although they are Indian in appearance, speak an Indian language, and have been influenced by the surrounding culture, they have nonetheless maintained a quite separate existence from the other Indian groups in the area. Today the Beni Israel are the only sizable Jewish group in India. Several thousand of them still live in and around Bombay, though most have immigrated to Israel.

The Shinlung - Bene Menashe
In the mountainous region which lies on both sides of the Indian-Burmese border dwells the Shinlung Tribe, or as they call themselves, the Bene Menashe - sons of the Tribe of Menashe. They believe themselves to be descendants of the exiled Tribes who traveled east. Their origin story is that from Central Asia they migrated to the Tibet region and then into southern China, dwelling in caves. From China they immigrated to the Burma-Indian highlands centered in Manipur and Mizaram, where they have lived for centuries.

Their collective memory is that they are of Israelite descent. Their religious practices are different from surrounding peoples. Their tradition includes many Biblical aspects such as levirate marriage (a brother marries his deceased brother's childless wife), agricultural tithes, incest prohibitions, burial rather than cremation, and celebrating three major annual festivals.

In the early 1900's English missionaries converted the Shinlung to Christianity. However, since the 1950's, following a revelation to Mela Chala - a local farmer and mystic - that the Shinlung were truly the lost biblical Tribe of Menashe and soon they would be gathered to their ancestral homeland, many have begun to reactivate their Jewish connection.

Although thousands of Shinlung acknowledge their tribal legend of Israelite descent, most remain in India living as Christians. Five thousand or so have made a full return to Judaism, observing Shabbat, Kashrut and circumcision. These Bene Menashe are deeply Zionistic, with a strong love for Israel and a desire to live in the "Promised Land."

In recent years, hundreds of these Asian-looking people have returned to Israel, undergone a full-halachic conversion and have been integrated into settlements throughout the country.



--- On Tue, 12/30/08, Come@yahoo.com wrote:

From: Come@yahoo.com
Subject: Fwd: [aryayouthgroup] I stand proudly with Israel, a sister democracy which values freedom, rule of law and human rights
To: "aryayouthgroup"
Date: Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 6:42 PM





From: Come Carpentier
Date: Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Subject: Re: [aryayouthgroup] I stand proudly with Israel, a sister democracy which values freedom, rule of law and human rights
To: aryayouthgroup- owner@yahoogroup s.com


Sorry friend but your history seems fanciful. Which Jewish people came to India when expelled from Jerusalem and when? Do you have any historic records for that statement.

If sellling is a test of friendship, I can think of many other countries that would love to be your friends. Why, it is the most profitable business in the vorld.


On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 9:47 PM, Naresh Raghubeer wrote:

For 2000 years, India has been a haven for the Jewish people. We welcomed them when they were expelled from Jerusalem, allowed them to live in peace, practice their religion and grow their communities and businesses. Today, Israelis and Israel are great supporters of India as tourists, investors and of course, as suppliers of military arms for India (over $2b US) per year. Let's remember who our real friends are and stand with them, as they have stood with us.

I stand proudly with Israel. A sister democracy. A bastion of freedom in the Middle East. And a friend of India.

Warmest regards.
Naresh
------------ --------
Naresh Raghubeer
Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Democracies
PO Box 989, Station B
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5R1 Canada
Tel. 613-216-2095
Cell 416-948-6957
Fax 425-944-3536
naresh@CanadianCoal ition.com
www.CanadianCoaliti on.com


----- Original Message -----
From: Kewal.Ahluwali
To: aryayouthgroup
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 09:38
Subject: Fwd: [aryayouthgroup] I strongly condemn Israeli raids ...Sasan






Dear friends.
Whereas we all sympathies with the plight of the people being effected by this bombing of the Gaza strip by Israel. Palestinian People do not want peace with their neighbors and they fire rockets from their soil in to Israel and that is to the way to attain peace.
Where were they when the Muslim terrorists from Pakistan were killing the innocent people in Mumbai?.
Kewal Ahluwalia.
----- Original Message -----
From: sasanbah
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 1:54 PM
Subject: [aryayouthgroup] I strongly condemn Israeli raids ...Sasan


Dear my Friends in all over the world,

As you may know today Israeli army drops over 100 tons of bombs on Gaza and more than 200 people are dead after that unprecedented wave of air strikes , I always love peace and friendship and true I live in my calm place in Iran and I am not a politician but as a human being and as an inhabitant of the earth I can't remain silent about these kinds of attacks and I strongly condemn Israeli deadly raids on Gaza

I personally believe Israeli attacks on Gaza trigger hatred in middle east and in the world

God bless you all

Sasan




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