Hong Kong: 'Asian Jewish Life' - new issue online

When Tracing the Tribe visited Hong Kong last year, we met a wonderful group of people, including US expat Erica Lyons, the publisher of Asian Jewish Life.

Erica just informed me that she is helping to get the story out on the situation in Japan and also working on the memoirs of a fascinating woman.

Read the stories by Erica about a Japanese Jewish family living in Hong Kong here and here. The Brenner family - the focus of these stories - also has a blog called the Hitachi Naka City Earthquake Recovery Blog. It is designed to raise awareness and eventually be a conduit for aid to Mayumi Brenner's hometown.

Asian Jewish Life also has a Facebook page, detailing Asian Jewish happenings, information on Japan's Jewish community and how they are coping with the aftermath of the immense earthquake, and other information.

The current issue of AJL is online with several articles of specific interest to Tracing the Tribe readers and genealogists. Click Asian Jewish Life to see the new issue.

One story is by Amelia Alsop who directs the Hong Kong Heritage Project. On my visit to Hong Kong, I visited the Project office, met Amelia and other staff members and was very impressed with what they are accomplishing.

The Kadoorie Family, Sephardi Jews, emigrated from Baghdad in 1880 to settle in the Far East. The family fortunes were founded by Sir Elly Kadoorie and Sir Ellis Kadoorie, who were pivotal players in the development of business giants such as the Hongkong Shanghai Hotel Co. and China Light and Power. Elly's sons, Lord Lawrence Kadoorie and Sir Horace Kadoorie continued the family businesses and philanthropic pursuits. The family is today headed by Lawrence's son, Sir Michael Kadoorie.


In May 2007, Sir Michael founded the Hong Kong Heritage Project (HKHP). The HKHP is the first of its kind in Hong Kong; a project supported and driven by business with the purpose of preserving community history. The HKHP does this by promoting new avenues of research, enriching Hong Kong's existing archival collection, encouraging young people to participate in the preservation of their community history and capturing unrepresented voices in Hong Kong's historical narrative through the collection of oral history. The HKHP is housed in an archive facility in Kowloon which holds 3,100 Kadoorie related records, as well as 550 filmed oral history interviews.

Read The Lost Records Revealed - the Hong Kong Heritage Project's Jewish Collection.

For a look at modern Kaifeng in China - where an ancient Jewish community once flourished and where its remnants are once again learning about their heritage - read Yair Osherovich's story.

...While I asked myself these questions and searched for proof, I already knew the answers. Like my intention to help for the right reasons, these Jewish descendents had pure intentions too. There were plenty of reinforcements for my belief: the seriousness of Tzuri when he made Kiddush, the holding to the Yom Kippur fast despite how very organized and serious the Chinese are about their timetable for meals, and the communal effort to build the sukkah. It was the first sukkah in the town in 100 years. I see proof in the money that these families spend on Friday night meals and the bustle and scents that Shabbat brings as if it was a neighborhood in Jerusalem. Most of all the determination stands out. I see them thrive for knowledge. They listen carefully and absorb all the Jewish knowledge they can.


This has all reinforced my motivation to return to Kaifeng to help out for a third time. It is hard to stay indifferent to the donations they have collected on their own for the rehabilitation of the Carmel Forest. It is hard to stay indifferent to the warmness they treat every Jew and it is hard to stay indifferent to the pride that belonging to the broader Jewish community gives to them.

Read the rest of this story here.

For a long and excellent article, with beautiful photographs, by Dr. Shalva Weill, detailing Southern India's synagogues and trade, read "In An Ancient Land," click here.

See the new issue's table of contents for more.

Thank you, Erica, for Asian Jewish Life.

UK: British Library, FindMyPast to digitize 5 million pages

The British Library and findmypast.co.uk will digitize 5 million pages of family history records.

For the first time, India Office Records and 100 years of electoral registers will be online and fully searchable.

The British Library holds the national collection of electoral registers covering the whole UK. These registers offer a huge number of names, addresses and other genealogical information.

"Digitisation of the electoral registers will transform the work of people wishing to use them for family history research," said Jennie Grimshaw, the Library's curator for Social Policy and Official Publications. "Printed electoral registers are arranged by polling district within constituency and names are not indexed, so the process of finding an address to confirm names of residents is currently incredibly laborious. Digitisation represents a huge breakthrough as users will be able to search for names and addresses, thereby pinpointing the individuals and ancestors they're looking for."

The project will involve the scanning of UK electoral registers covering the century that followed the Reform Act of 1832, along with records of baptisms, marriages and burials drawn from the archives of the India Office. When available online, these collections will enable historians, genealogists and family history researchers to make connections and track down details of ancestors and others at the click of a mouse - work that would previously have necessitated visits to the Library's Reading Rooms and many hours of laborious manual searching.

Also included are holdings from the East India Company archives and the India Office. These 18th, 19th and 20th century records offer information on Britons living and working in the Indian sub-continent up to the 1948 independence. There are more than 1,000 volumes of ecclesiastical returns of births, marriages and burials; applications for civil and military service; and pension payment details.

The resources will be available online at findmypast.co.uk and in the Library's Reading Rooms from early 2012. Online requires a subscription or pay-as-you-go. Library access will be free and it will receive copies of the digitized images of this project.

For more information, click here.

Global Day of Jewish Learning, Nov. 7

Did you know that the Global Day of Jewish Learning is Sunday, November 7?

The day honors the achievement of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's five-decades project of translating the Talmud and encouraging people to join together for study.

It brings together Jewish communities around the world in a historic celebration.

Find out more here about Rabbi Steinsaltz, the day, and click here for more than 250 events as well as online opportunities.

Hong Kong: Asian Jewish Life's new issue

The summer 2010 edition of Asian Jewish Life has hit cyberspace to provide the rest of us with a look at contemporary Jewish diaspora life throughout Asia

When I visited Hong Kong (February/March 2010), I met Erica Lyons - an expat American who lives in Hong Kong with her family. As editor-in-chief of the magazine, she's produced another excellent collection of fascinating articles covering numerous countries.

Check out the new issue online and see these stories:

Animating Jewish-Chinese Relations: Judaism and Israel are hot topics in China. More than 10 Chinese universities offer Judaic studies programs, including at least one doctoral program. China’s state-owned television network, CCTV, recently aired a documentary titled “Walk into Israel - Land of Milk and Honey,” its first series on Israel. The story of the Shanghai Jews is now a popular topic as well.

The Way Home: Born in Seoul, filmmaker Jason Hoffman was adopted by a New York Jewish family. The film, "Going Home," is his story of finding his roots, his birthmother and sister.

Finding a Lost Tribe of Israel in India: The long road home.

The Endless Jewish Audience: Whenever he walks into a new social situation - synagogue, Shabbat dinner or a Judaica store - there's always the chance this Japanese Jewish convert will need to tell his conversion story to a confused, sometimes judgmental, audience.

The Color of Carefully Ordered Chaos: Israeli artist Nir Segal's work on exhibit in Thailand.

Living Tikkun Olam in Nepal: Israeli backpackers and diaspora Jews volunteer in Tevel b’Tzedek (The Earth in Justice), founded by Micha Odenheimer. The group runs intensive four-month Nepal experience (February), as well as five-week programs beginning in October, November and December. Read the story to learn what this organization has accomplished and its plans for the future.

In Book Reviews, two interesting family histories and a family secret (Shanghai and Zimbabwe). Although not new, each provides insights on a destination: Shanghai Shadows (Lois Ruby, Holiday House, 2006) and When a Crocodile Eats the Sun (Peter Godwin, Little, Brown and Company, 2006).

See the table of contents here for more. There are stories by a writer in Cambodia, a social activist in Japan, Asian kosher food, an ex-pat diary story, a travel feature by the New Jersey-born conductor of the The Hong Kong Bach Choir and Orchestra, and more.

AJL is a free quarterly publication designed to share regional Jewish thoughts, ideas and culture and promote unity, while celebrating individuality, diverse backgrounds and customs.

Thank you, Erica, for another good read!

New York: First Sephardic Jewish Book Fair, July 25

The first annual New York Sephardic Jewish Book Fair will include book readings, author signings, sales and tours at the Center for Jewish History, on Sunday July 25.

From noon-5.30pm - hosted by the American Sephardi Federation (ASF) - the event brings together authors and book lovers, those who write about and enjoy books relating to the culture, history, philosophy, religion, languages and experiences of Sephardic Jews, past and present.

Hundreds of Sephardic-oriented books - new, hard-to-find or rare - will be available.

Visiting authors will discuss diverse topics and personal histories, Sephardic history, philosophy, culture and religion:

12pm: Jean Naggar will read from her Egyptian memoir, "Sipping From the Nile."
12.30pm: Marc Kligman, Professor of Jewish Musicology (Hebrew Union College) will read from his award-winning book, "Maqam and Liturgy: Ritual, Music, and Aesthetics of Syrian Jews in Brooklyn."
1pm: Andrée Aelion Brooks will read from and discuss the life of the Sephardic banker and heroine, "The Woman who Defied Kings: The Life and Times of Doña Gracia Nasi."
Children's hour, 2-3pm:
1.30pm: Peninnah Schram, Professor of Speech and Drama, Stern College for Women (Yeshiva University), shares a Sephardic tale for youth, "The Hungry Clothes - And other Jewish Folktales."
2pm: Mara Cohen Ioannides, Professor of English (Missouri State University), reads a story about Sephardic and Romanoite Jews from her award-winning children's book, "A Shout in the Sunshine."
2:30pm: Jessica Jiji reads from her novel, "Sweet Dates in Basra."
3pm: Rabbi Marc D. Angel, Ph.D., founder of The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel, North America's oldest Jewish congregation. He speaks on his books, "Foundations of Sephardic Spirituality" and "Maimonides, Spinoza and Us."
4pm: Abraham Sutton reads from "The Aristocrat," a book about his father, Rabbi Hillel Menashe Sutton, a leading member of the Aleppo (Syria) and Jerusalem Sephardic communities.
4.30pm, J. Daniel Khazzoom, Professor emeritus, reads from his book, "No Way Back: The Journey of a Jew from Baghdad."
5pm: Mitchell James Kaplan reads from his book about ordinary people swept up in the Inquisition's chaos and upheaval and the Expulsion, "By Fire, By Water."

Vendors will bring out-of-print Jewish books, as well as modern and rare titles, some from the 18th-20th centuries, including antique Ladino and Hebrew volumes from Salonika, Livorno, Tunis, Venice and Jerusalem.

Rare Sephardic books from the ASF Library and Archives will be displayed and Yeshiva University Museum will offer tours of its current exhibits, including "A Journey Through Jewish Worlds: Highlights from the Braginsky Collection of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books.' This collection includes handwritten manuscripts and printed books from Holland, Italy, Spain, Greece and India.

The free event is set for the Steinberg Great Hall at the CJH, 15 W. 16th Street.

New York: Sephardic Book Fair, July 25

The first New York Sephardic Jewish Book Fair - with book readings, author signings, book sales and tours - is set for Sunday, July 25.

Hosted by the American Sephardi Federation (ASF), will be held from noon-5pm, at the Steinberg Great Hall at the Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th Street.

The free event, open to the public, will include authors and book lovers, those who write about and read about the culture, history, philosophy, religion, languages and experiences of the Sephardic Jews, past and present.

Hundreds of titles of Sephardic-oriented books, including many rare titles, will be available for sale by the Sephardic House bookstore, as well as by unique vendors that specialize in Sephardic Judaica.

Several visiting authors will discuss a wide range of topics including personal histories, Sephardic history, philosophy, culture and religion. The day's key author and speaker will be Dr. Marc D. Angel, founder of The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel, North America's oldest Jewish congregation.

The fair will also feature a display of rare Sephardic books from the ASF Library and Archives, while Yeshiva University Museum will hold tours of their current exhibit: "A Journey Through Jewish Worlds: Highlights from the Braginsky Collection of Hebrew Manuscripts and Printed Books."

The Braginsky Collection includes handwritten manuscripts and printed books from Holland, Italy, Spain, Greece and India.

There will also be hourly free door prizes for attendees.

The ASF promotes and preserves the spiritual, historical, cultural and social traditions of all Sephardic communities as an integral part of Jewish heritage.

Hong Kong: 'Asian Jewish Life,' spring issue online

On my recent Hong Kong visit, I met with editor-in-chief Erica Lyons of "Asian Jewish Life: A Journal of Spirit, Society and Culture."

The new AJL spring 2010 issue is now online with stories covering India, Shanghai, Cambodia, foodies, book reviews, film and more.

"Asian Jewish Life is a contemporary journal of Jewish diaspora life throughout Asia. As Jews in Asia we are but a tiny minority unified by tradition, a love for Israel, common contemporary concerns and shared values. While Asian Jewish Life is a common media forum designed to share regional Jewish thoughts, ideas and culture and promote unity, it also celebrates our individuality and our diverse backgrounds and customs."

Here's the table of contents (read each online or download the PDF at the link above):

-- Inbox: Your letters
-- Letter from the Editor
-- India Journal- Life with the Bene Ephraim (Bonita Nathan Sussman and Gerald Sussman)
-- Eating Kosher Dog Meat: Jewish in Guiyang (Susan Blumberg-Kason)
-- Through the Eyes of ZAKA (Jana Daniels)
-- Interview: Ambassador Yaron Mayer
-- Replanting Roots in Shanghai: Architect Haim Dotan’s journey (Erica Lyons)
-- A Palate Grows in Brooklyn: Birth of a foodie (Sandi Butchkiss)
-- Poetry by Rachel DeWoskin
-- The Death Penalty: What Asia can learn from Judaism (Michael H. Fox)
-- Learning to Speak: A cross-cultural love story (Tracy Slater)
-- Book Reviews (Susan Blumberg-Kason)
-- Places I Love
-- Expat Diary: Raising a Jewish Child in Cambodia (Craig Gerard)
-- Film in Focus

Each article provides a diverse look into life in Asia, with a Jewish "hook." Tracing the Tribe will always remember the line "tenderloin of my heart," from Tracy Slater's "Learning to Speak."

Readers and writers with Jewish Asian experiences are invited to submit articles; click here for more information.

If you enjoyed this issue (the winter issue is also online), let Erica know, and tell her you learned about AJL at Tracing the Tribe. Feedback is always welcome.

A great issue, Erica!

Library of Congress: Indian, Israeli book talk, March 31

"Being Indian, Being Israeli: Migration, Ethnicity and Gender in the Jewish Homeland" is the title of a book talk by Maina Chawla Singh on Wednesday, March 31.

The event begins at noon in the Asian Reading Room Foyer in the Jefferson Building.

In contemporary Israel, the bulk of Indian Jews live in Israeli periphery, where they were settled by the state from the 1950s to early 1970s.

For the first time, this book presents a deeply researched analysis of three Jewish communities from India, studying them holistically as Indian-Israelis with shared histories of migration, acculturation and identity in the Jewish Homeland.

Based on fieldwork and ethnographic research conducted 2005-2008 among Indian Jews across Israel, the book reflects the authors deep engagement and familiarity with Israeli society and the complexities of ethnicity and class that underlie the cleavages within Israeli Jewish society.

Maina Chawla Singh is Associate Professor, University of Delhi. From 2005-2008, she researched and lectured at Bar Ilan, Haifa and Tel Aviv universities. In 2008, she was Scholar-in-Residence at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and, in 2009, was a Fellow at Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University. Currently, she is Scholar-in-Residence at American University, Washington DC.

The talk is sponsored by the LOC's Asian Division, the Asian Division Friends Society and the Embassy of India.

For more information, send an email.

Hong Kong: Markets, magazines and more

Erica Lyons - who has been here for some seven years with her family - and I went to an old temple - I love the smell of incense - and a walk through the market.

We later met some of our dining companions from the other night for a fabulous vegetarian dim sum lunch.

Erica, a lawyer by training, is editor-in-chief and publisher of the new Asian Jewish Life: A Journal of Spirit, Society and Culture.

The now-quarterly free publication - hopefully to become more frequent - focuses on the Jewish experience in Asia. It is handed out on El Al flights from Asia in business and first. It is also online.

She gave me a copy of the 40-page premier issue which features an excellent group of articles by some very interesting writers, covering artists, book reviews, personal stories and much more. Read it online at the link above.

Erica (photo right) is also on the board of the Hong Kong Jewish Historical Society, and shared some information about the century-old Jewish cemetery, which I hope to visit Friday morning.

I have discussed the possibility of forming a Jewish genealogical society here under the auspices of the historical society. I hope to meet more of the historical society members when I return through HK from Australia towards the end of March.

Sephardim: Museum of Family History exhibits

The virtual Museum of Family History also has material for researchers of Sephardim.

-- Holocaust Memorials in Havana and Santa Clara, Cuba

-- Synagogues of Asia: Burma, China, Hong Kong, India, Lebanon, Singapore, Tajikistan, Turkey [Asian side].

--Synagogues of Turkey: (European side of Istanbul)

-- Synagogues of Spain. The photo at left is the El Transito Synagogue in Toledo.

-- Postcards from Home: Turkey

Museum creator Steve Lasky wishes to include more pre-war family photos. Readers with such photos are invited to contact Steve.

India: Lucknow Pathans DNA project

A new DNA project will research the roots of Jews and Pathans in India.

While it is generally believed that the Pathans are descended from Jews who converted to Islam centuries ago, and there many writings support this, a DNA research project might answer more questions.

The story appeared in the Times of India.

The Pathans, of course, are mainly in Afghanistan and DNA projects there are currently a far-fetched idea. However, there are Pathans in Lucknow, India, and that group will be tested.

Heading the project is an Indian geneticist Shahnaz Ali, who will study the genetic link between the Afridi Pathans in Malihabad near Lucknow and the Jews, who migrated all over Asia.

Ali is based in Haifa at the prestigious Technion (Israel Institute of Technology), the recipient of an Israeli foreign ministry scholarship.

According to Dr. Navras Aafreedi, an Indo-Judaic studies researcher (see below for many more links on his writings), Shahnaz's research would be important if she can establish a genetic link between the Pathans and Jews. It is a traditional belief about the Pathans' origins and "can have interesting ramifications for Muslim-Jewish relations.

The belief was very strong decades ago in the Pathans of Afghanistan and even Emir Abdul Rahman, the former Afghan Shah Amanullah's grandfather, stated in his "History of the Afghans" that the Afghans were of Jewish descent.

Elders of the Afridi Pathans, who call themselves Bani Israel (Children of Israel), recalled many Jewish rituals and customs among the Afridi Pathans, e.g., the lighting of candles on Shabbat, long side locks, shawls resembling tallit, circumcision on the eighth day after birth, and Levirate marriage. Today, of course, it is dangerous and not politically correct to talk about these customs.

Other tribes include Yusufzai tribe (sons of Joseph), Rabbani (sons of Reuben), Levani (sons of Levi), Ashuri (sons of Asher), and others.

Afghani Jews often reported that they had close relationships with members of these tribes who shared their customs and traditions.

Persian writers refer to this history, as the Afghani Jews were of Persian origin, and long ago the borders were open, all part of the same territory. British travelers and officers also wrote about this tradition.

The newspaper article noted that Pathans are believed to be descendants of the tribe of Ephraim, one of the 10 tribes of Israel's northern kingdom exiled by the Assyrians in 721 BCE. Descendants of these lost tribes are supposed to have settled in India between 1202-1761 CE, among them those in Malihabad.

Afghanistan's Pashtun fighters, from where the Taliban draw their strength, are Afridi Pathan descendants.

The Lucknow district was selected because it is the only safe and accessible group today. There is another group at Qayamganj in Farrukhabad - both refer to themselves as Bani Israel. Two more such clans live in aligarh and Sambhal in Moradabad.

In 2006, Aafreedi spoke about his own origins, when he was conducting research at Tel Aviv University, in a Jerusalem Post story:

According to Aafreedi's study, which was published as an e-book, about 650 out of the 1,500 members of the Afridi Pathan clan in Malihabad, India, may possess genetic material shared by nearly 40 percent of Jews worldwide. If confirmed, the findings would support the clan's connection to the tribe of Ephraim, Aafreedi said. A related Indian Pathan group numbering some 800 people was not tested for the project.

In that Jerusalem Post story, Michael Freund who today heads Shavei Israel, notes that Persian writers wrote about the tribes' connections, as well as missionaries who arrived with the British. Even former Israeli President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi wrote about it in his book, "The Exile and Redeemed," he quoted an Afghani Jew as saying, "According to the tradition current among the [Afghan] Afridis, they are indeed descendants of the Israelites, more particularly the sons of Ephraim."

A fascinating Middle East Facts article (2007) includes this information as it writes about Aafreedi and the Afridi Pathans, lists books, resources and individuals. Another article with more information is here.

Click here to read "Medieval Persian References to the Israelite Origin of the Pashtuns/Pathans," (2008) which includes much genealogical information in medieval writings over hundreds of years. This will be of interest to Jewish genealogists as it recounts tribal traditions of origins and names names.

Aafreedi's blog is here, and to learn more about his e-book, click here.

New York: Unique Sephardic programs at the JCC

The Upper West Side Jewish Community Center's goal is to celebrate the diversity and richness of the Jewish people. The JCC has scheduled some unique programming - lectures, travel, food and music - to discover different facets of Jewish life from January-March 2010.

The JCC is located at 334 Amsterdam Avenue and 76th Street, New York City.

The Remarkable Saga of Spanish Jewry

New York University assistant professor/faculty fellow in teh religious studies program, Brigitte Sion was born in Switzerland to Sephardic parents. She will lead a six-session program on the history of Spanish Jewry's descendants - a history of secrecy, forced conversion, exile, dispersion, and endurance - and examine the contemporary state of the Sephardic community today. Sion will cover how they were received in other countries and how they flourished in diaspora. Also covered: language, literature, traditions and customs, evolution of Sephardic heritage in exile, contemporary phenomenon of "museumization" and Spain's relationship to its Jewish past.

Six Mondays, from January 25- March 8 (not on February 15). Fee: JCC members, $90; others, $110.

Far From Zion: In Search of a Global Jewish Community

7pm, Tuesday, February 23. Fee: JCC members, $7; others, $10.

Award-winning writer Charles London speaks about his new book that blends history, geography, politics and personal memoir. His global journey reveals Jewish communities living their faith in inspiring ways. His year-long quest to seek out these communities is both physical and spiritual. Co-sponsored with Be-chol Lashon.

Indian Jewish Purim Celebration

3pm, Sunday, February 28. Fee: JCC members, $25; others, $30.

Join Indian-Jewish Congregation of the USA (IJCUSA) president Romiel Daniel and other members of his community for a Purim celebration. Enjoy ethnic Indian and Israeli dancing with a Bollywood DJ. Dress up as a Purim character or not. Indian cuisine served. Co-sponsored with the IJCUSA).

Celebrating the Turkish Musical Tradition
2pm, Sunday, March 7, Mar 7. Fee: JCC members, $20; others, $25.

Turkish culture is reflected in its rich and diverse musical traditions. Join world-renowned musician Ahmet Erdogdular who will present songs by the 18th century Ottoman Jewish composer Tanburi Izek and interpret the singing style of Izak Algazi, an Ottoman Empire-era Istanbul synagogue cantor. The Jewish-Turkish tradition will be represented by Turkish-American linguist, actress/director and singer Daisy Sadaka Braverman who will sing songs in Ladino/Judeo-Spanish, a language unique to Sephardic Jews, especially those of Greece and Turkey. The afternoon includes Turkish desserts. Co-sponsored by The Turkish Cultural Center.

To register for one or all of these programs, go to the JCC site.

Israel: Persian Gulf Jewish Communities

A conference held by the Ezri Center for Iran & Persian Gulf Studies (University of Haifa) now features the presentations via video online.

The international colloquium, titled "The Jewish Communities of the Persian Gulf: New Themes in Their Modern History," took place May 15, 2006.

Among the speakers:

Conference Welcome

--Dr. Meir Ezri, former Israeli Ambassador to Iran. (Watch, Listen)

-- Prof. Amatzia Baram, Department of Middle Eastern History, University of Haifa (Watch, Listen)

Session 1: The Realm of Baghdadi Jewish Entrepreneurs
Chair: Prof. Amalia Levanoni

-- Dr. Chiara Betta: Rethinking Baghdadi Jewish Networks in Shanghai Watch, Listen)

-- Prof. Gad G. Gilbar: The Sassoons in Iran, Amin al-Zarb in Hong Kong: Some Lessons (Watch, Listen) (NOTE: Tracing the Tribe watched this very interesting presentation of the Sassoon family, whose empire stretched to Hong Kong).

-- Questions from the Audience (Watch)

Session 2: Jewish-Muslim Socio-economic Relations in Late Qajar Iran
Chair: Prof. David Yeroushalmi, Tel Aviv University

-- Dr. Heidi Walcher: Commercial Relations and Mercantile Networks in 19th Century Isfahan(Watch, Listen)

-- Dr. Daniel Tsadik: Shi'i-Jewish Relations in the pre-Constitutional Years: The Shiraz Incident of 1905 (Watch, Listen)

Session 3: Cultural Aspects of Jewish Life: Iran and Iraq
Chair: Dr. Soli Shahvar, University of Haifa

-- Prof. Goel Cohen: The Iranian Jewish Press during the Pahlavi Period. This was not recorded.

-- Dr. Ronen Zeidel: Once City, Different Views: Baghdad in the Recent Writings of Sami Michael, Sasson Somekh and Salim Fatal (Watch, Listen)

Concluding Remarks

Prof. Amatzia Baram (Watch)

These are interesting topics and perspective not usually addressed elsewhere.

Kulanu: Chinese, Indian Jewish articles

If the stories of Jews around the world in some exotic places capture your imagination, you aren't alone.

Kulanu's Fall 2009 Newsletter is now online. Some of the articles are:

-- "French Black Jews” by Cynthia Weisfeld
-- “Endings and Beginnings in Uganda” by Lorne Mallin
-- “Kaifeng Descendent to Tour U.S.”
-- “What I Did on my Summer Vacation” by Janis Colton (Elderhostel trip to New Mexico on Converso/Crypto-Jewish story)

Some notes on the stories:

A descendant of one of the original Jewish families in Kaifeng, China, Shi Lei spoke to our JFRA Israel group in Israel a few years ago while he was attending Bar Ilan University (2001-2002). Nearly 100 people came to hear him speak. He is now back in his home town. A spring 2010 lecture tour to the US is planned. Perhaps your JGS is interested in inviting him to speak. Email Kulanu to get details.

Colton's story on her New Mexico trip this summer was interesting. For those who are so inspired, the Jewish Womens Archive is planning a long weekend trip to Santa Fe, NM, where some of these issues will be on the program, including a talk by Dr. Stan Hordes, who specializes in Converso/Crypto-Jewish studies.

There was also information about the Jews of India, including information on a new documentary about Mumbai's Bene Israel community; a new website, IndianJudaica.com; and a new book, "Being Indian, Being Israeli," by Maina Chawla Singh. Near Haifa, Israel, a new Indian Jewish Community Center (called Shaare Rahamim) has been established. It will house a permanent museum displaying Indian Judaica and historic documents. For more information, send an email.

Do read all the articles at the main Kulanu Newsletter link above.

World Jewish Studies: Holocaust topics

The conference also covered sociology, immigration, issues of color, the Holocaust and its aftermath, including displaced persons in Italy.

Tracing the Tribe recommends viewing these topics and seeing which reflect what you would like to know more about or that may have personal implications to your own research

Geographically, the list covers Japan, Italy, France, US, India, the Vatican, and Greece.

(E=English, H=Hebrew)

Jews, Color, Race:
Gary Phillip Zola (E) “Bone of Our Bone and Flesh of Our Flesh”: The Judaization of Abraham Lincoln
Gil Ribak (E) “The Jew Usually Left Those Crimes to Esau”: Immigrant Jewish Responses to Accusations of Jewish Criminality in New York City, 1908–1912
Shlomi Deloia (E) Race, Whiteness, and the Jewish American Immigration Novel of the 1920s
Efraim Sicher (E) The “Jew’s Passage to India”: Race, Color, and Hybridity in Desai and Rushdie
Shmuel Trigano (E) Towards a Sociology of Judaism
Inbal Ester Cicurel (H) Karaites in Israel: A Religious Community in Changes

Attitude Towards the Jews in the Axis States:
Tommaso Dell’era (E) The Catholic Church, Racism and Anti-Semitism (1934–1939): New Documentation from the Vatican Archives
Maria Costanza-Caredio (E) The Italian Racial Laws
Simona Salustri (E) The Reinstatement of Jewish Teachers in Italian Universities
Chizuko Takao (E) Japan Faces its Jews

Studies in Holocaust Research:
Miriam Gillis-Carlebach (H) A Look at the Suffering and Resourcefulness of Holocaust-Surviving Children as Expressed in Their Own Testimonies
Hava Eshkoli (H) The Plan of Resettlement of Jewish Refugees in Alaska during the Holocaust
Yitzchak Kerem (H) Reevaluation of Rescue in Thessaloniki

Jewish Displaced Persons in Italy after the Holocaust:
Cinzia Villani(E) The Arrival and Early Stay of Jewish DPs in Italy: The South Tyrol-Milan Route
Arturo Marzano (E) Between Florence and Rome: The Presence of Jewish DPs in Central Italy
Elena Mazzini (E) The Representation of Jewish DP’s in the Italian Press and in Memoir Writing

Tracing the Tribe hopes that this series will inspire, raise awareness and encourage readers to explore their own history as well as Jewish history in general.

India: Holocaust Film Festival planned

Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi is planning a Holocaust film festival in Lucknow, India, and he's asking for your help as to suggestions and donations for the event. Films will be shown at various institutions in the city.

He writes;

Shalom!

I plan to organize a Series of Holocaust Film Screenings in Lucknow, India, at universities, colleges and other educational institutions here. The objective is to make the Indians aware of the great tragedy and to fight the Holocaust denial, common among Muslims here.

I already have in my possession three documentary films (thanks to the munificence of Yad Vashem), namely:

- Outcast: Jewish Persecution in Nazi Germany 1933-1938

- She Was there and She Told Me: The Story of Hannah Bar Yesha

- May Your Memory Be Love: The Story of Ovadia Baruch

If you could donate documentaries or/and feature-films on the Holocaust it would be a great mitzvah, for which I would be most grateful.

He has set up a blog, Open Space Lucknow and will acknowledge contributions. He also asks DVDs to be sent by registered post of courier service.

Email him for more details and to clear titles you may wish to provide for this good cause.

Sephardim: A culture check

Modern Sephardic culture was addressed today by JTA.org. The story by Amy Klein touches on items from many regions.

There are dozens of ways to enjoy modern Sephardic culture, art that draws upon traditions from regions such as Spain, Portugal, the Middle East, North Africa, the Far East, Italy, Rome and Greece. The culture includes music, literature, history, cooking, art and theater. Here are just some samples.

Under LISTEN, find

De Leon: Indie rock band with 15th century Spanish influences and Sephardic tradition. http://jdubrecords.org/artists.php?id=22

Pharoah's Daughter: Jewish folk group performing traditional Judaic tunes with Arabic rhythm and African beats.

Vanessa Paloma - singer, performer, scholar and writer - specializes in Sephardic women's songs and their connection to women's spiritual expression.

I'm adding in our cousin Galeet Dardashti's group, Divahn.

Under READ, there's

Iranian Jewish author Gina Nahai's first novel (1991) “Cry of The Peacock." Insiders know the book's characters were based on her family's interesting individuals and the family wasn't very happy about it. She's now writing her fifth book, charting seven generations of a Jewish family beginning in 18th-century Persia to modern-day Iran.

The article does not include the books of Farideh Goldin, Dalia Sofer nor Roya Hakkakian, whose books focus on different aspects of Iranian Jewish life.

Algeria is represented by Joann Sfar's “The Rabbi's Cat” and “The Rabbi's Cat 2,” by Joann Sfar (Pantheon Books, 2005, 2008). These graphic novels spotlight a rabbi's cat who narrates the stories.

Bene Israel Indian auhor Sophie Judah's "Dropped from Heaven" (Shocken, 2007) is a story collection about the everyday life of a fictional Bene Israel community.

Lucette Lagnado's “The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: A Jewish Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World,” (Harper Perennial: Reprint, 2008) is a memoir of her father and her family's life in Cairo and a relocation to American poverty.

Spanning 150 years with writings of 28 authors covers fiction, memoirs, essays and poetry in “The Schocken Book of Modern Sephardic Literature,” edited by Ilan Stavans (Shocken, 2005).

Aviva Ben Hur's “Sephardic Jews in America: A Diasporic History" (New York University Press, 2009) is a new one to read.

There's information on the NY Sephardic Film Festival, a Syrian spoof of "Seinfeld" (Jerry's mother is Syrian) and more.

If Sephardic cuisine is your thing, as it is mine, there are several good books noted:

Syria: "Fistful of Lentils: Syrian-Jewish Recipes from Grandma Fritzie's Kitchen," by Jennifer Felicia Abadi (Harvard Common Press, 2007), and “Aromas of Aleppo: The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews,” by Poopa Dweck, Michael J. Cohen and Quentin Bacon, (Ecco, 2007)

Morocco: “Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon,” by Claudia Roden (Knopf, 2006).

Iraqi: “Mama Nazima's Jewish Iraqi Cuisine,” by Rivka Goldman (Hippocrene Books, 2006).

There is no Persian Jewish cookbook as classic Persian cooking is the same for all. A few dishes require some minor adjustments, such as not marinating chicken in yoghurt and saffron), but most are the same for Jewish Iranians as for others.

The Bible of Iranian cooking, in my opinion, is "New Food for Life," which is now a little difficult to find, but well worth the search.

Read the complete article here.

India: Fighting to save Cochin's synagogue

Local state government authorities in Cochin, India have taken steps to block the future demolition of a centuries-old synagogue in the southern India city. This was in response to rumors of the possible sale of the building to a developer.

Jerusalem Post writer Michael Freund, who is visiting in Cochin, wrote this story.

The Thekkumbhagom synagogue, located on Jews Street in the Ernakulam area of Cochin, was built in 1580 and later renovated in 1939. Along with other local synagogues, it served Cochin's 3,000 Jews until most moved to Israel after the establishment of the state. Fewer than 35 Jews now remain in Cochin.

The synagogue is currently owned by the Association of Kerala Jews, and in recent years, the structure has fallen into disuse.

In recent weeks, according to former Cochini Jews living in Israel, the synagogue was put up for sale and negotiations were conducted with an Indian developer who wanted to buy the property and tear down the building.

The Association of Kerala Jews president Isaac Joshua denied the synagogue was for sale. He said the association plans to turn it over to the local archeological department to assure that it will remain protected and maintained.

A petition with dozens of signatures of former Cochini Jews now living in Israel was sent to the Kerala government's home minister, asking authorities to safeguard synagogues and Jewish cemeteries.

Kerala's secretary of tourism Dr. Venu V. Ias said he instructed the superintending archeologist to ensure the building was not demolished." He added that the structure was on the government list of "heritage buildings" which meant local authorities would have to grant permission to demolish it.

Read the complete article at the link above.

India: Hebrew calligraphy

Tracing the Tribe recently received a note from Thoufeek Zakriya, 20, a hospitality management student who lives in Cochin, India, which is famous for its ancient Jewish community.

Thoufeek creates beautiful Hebrew calligraphy illustrated in his blog My Calligraphy.

What is even more interesting is that he is an Indian Muslim, whose calligraphy skills include Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Syrian, Samaritan and English.

Take a look at Thoufeek's blog and see some of his work in the slide show link, as well as the postings. In the slide show is an image of the foundation stone of the synagogue in Kochangadi. Built in 1344, it is the oldest synagogue in Cochin.

Through Thoufeek's blog, I was reminded of photographer Jono David who photographs Jewish sites around the world. His amazing catalog of images is at the Jewish Photo Library.

Jono's project is called HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library. Its important mission:

To contribute to the preservation of Jewish communities of the world by documenting them photographically. Each photograph gives vision to community life today while safeguarding memories for tomorrow.

Tracing the Tribe will do a separate post on Jono David's work.

Book: Last Jews of Kerala

Tracing the Tribe seems to be on a bit of an India kick today. This fascinating book on the Jews of Kerala was reviewed in the Bangkok Post by Anuraj Manibhandu.

While many readers know that India is home to Jews of Baghdadi origin, as well as the Bene Israel and the Cochin communities, this book points up some inter-community problems that the wider Jewish world may not be familiar with - specifically problems between the white ( the Bagdadi community) and black (the Cochini) Jewish communities in the region.

British-Indian journalist Edna Fernandes traces their history, and the quarrels of "blacks" and "whites," and sees this as a reason for the diminishing of this particular branch of the Jewish diaspora.

The communities also quarrel over who arrived first in India, who shared common ancestry with Jewish leaders of the subcontinent and whose religious purity was higher.

Fernandes says that these were survival tactics for a minority group in India, which places great importance on purity, social hierarchy, political and economic privilege.

She first found the Jews of Cochin on a 2002 visit and went back again in 2006 to see how the two sides lived. She interviewed people in India and in Israel, consulted archives and diaries. The reviewer writes that "she has produced a book that brings alive the predicament of a diaspora weighed down by tradition and prejudice."

In the book, she relates the history, culture and beliefs of two groups that were separated although they lived only about 40 minutes away from each other. The pardesi (foreign, or white, generally the Bagdadi community) Jews arrived later than the Malabar (black) Jews, but used the Hindu caste system as a model for privilege.

Fernandes goes back to King Solomon to tell the story in the context of the bigger history of the Jewish diaspora, noting the trade of exotic goods between Israel and India, adventures of explorers such as Vasco da Gama and the Cochin Jews' survival during colonial days.

She notes Joseph Rabban, whom both groups claim as an ancestor, as well as Abraham Barak Salem, known as the "Jewish Gandhi," the first black Jew to become a lawyer and who won some rights for his people. Read about the "mixed" marriage between a (white) Koder bride and a (black) Salem bridegroom in 1950 and what transpired after the wedding in Bombay, when they returned to Kerala.

Today, writes Fernandez, there are fewer than 50 Jews in Kerala; only 12 are white. A particularly poignant quote is from K.J. Joy, of the Paradesi Synagogue, "Imagine: To be old, to be the last of your kind, to know your time has come."

Read the complete review here of Last Jews of Kerala, by Edna Fernandes (Penguin Books India, 2009, 250pp).