The city’s Jewish community claims that laws intended to be resurrected under minority status are only on paper and have yet to be enforced in the state. On June 24, one year ago, Maharashtra’s Jews adopted minority status in the hopes of gaining broader recognition and better opportunities in society. Although the provision has been effectively recorded in the official documents, nothing has changed in the lives of the residents of the small town. According to the 2011 census, there are 4,650 Indian Jews in India, with Maharashtra accounting for 53% of them with 2,466 Jews. Their numbers have dwindled to less than 200 in Pune, which has two famous synagogues, the Ohel David Synagogue and the Succath Shelomo Synagogue (buildings where Jews meet for religious worship).
