Bene Israel
Topic: India, a Home to Many: Diasporas and Refuge · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 5 "India, a Home to Many"
Meaning
The Bene Israel ("Children of Israel") are a Jewish community who settled on the Konkan coast, just south of Mumbai. Some scholars say they came from the ancient Kingdom of Israel in c. 175 BCE to escape persecution, which means being harassed or attacked for one's faith or identity. A storm wrecked their ship near the coast, and the survivors made a new home there. They lost their holy books, but they still remembered their prayer to one God. They became India's largest Jewish community.
Example
Shortly after Indian Independence (1947), the Bene Israel numbered over 25,000. This made them the biggest of India's Jewish groups.
Don't confuse with
- Cochin Jews: they reached Kochi in Kerala in later waves, between the 12th and 19th centuries. The Bene Israel are older and lived on the Konkan coast.