For India’s Bene Israel “kirtankars,” COVID-19 competes with Haman as the villain of the Jewish holiday of Purim this year. For the holiday, the kirtankars, a group of elderly ladies from Mumbai’s Jewish community who sing kirtan, or traditional devotional songs, planned to perform a kirtan about Queen Esther in the synagogue. However, because of the epidemic, most places of worship are closed, the women’s performance has been canceled.
Kirtans are Hindu devotional music-inspired traditional storytelling melodies. Bene Israel’s songs are in the local Marathi language and contain Hebrew words. They exalt renowned Hebrew Bible personalities like Joseph, Moses, David, and Elijah. “Esther Ranichi Katha,” or the story of Queen Esther who saved the Jews, is the one the women had intended to present this week.
“Due to an increase in Covid cases, religious worship has been limited. At the synagogue, we’ll probably have five to 10 people — not even a minyan [prayer quorum]. And the women, who are generally in their 70s and 80s, are afraid to leave their homes to travel,” said Elijah Jacob, a former Joint Distribution Committee director in India.
He remarked of the kirtankars, or kirtan singers, “It’s a shame because they were so anxious to do their recital.”
