Why are Jews and Israel important? India is adored by the public. Kalnirnay, Western India’s ubiquitous calendar/almanac, is a delightfully ecumenical document that hangs in my kitchen. It has a list of all religious holidays, including several that I had no idea were celebrated in India. While Christmas has certainly taken center stage this week, a brief note dated Tuesday the 22nd told me that the Jewish festival of Chanukkah, also known as Hanukkah, began on that day. Chanukkah is an eight-day event that is currently in its closing stages.
As one might think, this has been a moving event for Jews in India, who are dealing with what may be the first anti-Semitic attack in a country where the Jewish diaspora had never been persecuted. The Times of India reported on the solemn atmosphere at Mumbai’s Chabad House, where Chabad rabbis from all around the world lead prayers devoid of the normal Hanukkah fervor. The provision of potato latkes, deep-fried potato pancakes, was the only concession.
