When I was staying with a cousin in Colaba, Mumbai, for a few days a few years ago, she recommended that I go to the street book vendors. She claimed that I could get books on any subject for dirt cheap. When I inquired about Jewish books, I was instructed to return the next day. When I returned in expectation, I was handed a juice book. Considering the lack of demand for books about Jews, it’s hardly surprising that the book merchant mistook “Jews” for juice despite being in the book business. The majority of Indians are completely unaware of their existence.
It surprised me that this occurred in Mumbai, which is home to the majority of India’s five thousand and three hundred Jews, and where they had lived for nearly two millennia, according to legend. When I observe filmmaker Sadia Shepard attempt to describe what a synagogue is to Mumbaikars (locals of Mumbai) in her documentary In Search of the Bene Israel, I recognize a resemblance to my experience visiting Mumbai’s synagogues.
Source: https://www.ejewishphilanthropy.com/absence-of-jewish-studies-in-india/
