JUN 07, 2015 01:18 PM
India’s Jewish population is shrinking. However, with Prime Minister Modi’s imminent visit to Israel, hopes are high that the attention would shift back to India’s Jews.
Ezekiel Isaac Malekar removes his white religious shawl and a gold-edged skull hat from a little velvet pouch. He steps up to the little podium, or Bimah, from which he conducts the prayer every Shabbath (Friday to Saturday evening) and on other holy occasions. “Tallit or Tsisith is the name of the sacred shawl. Except for the Friday Shabbath prayer, we wear it every time we pray “Malekar adds.
Malekar has served as the Rabbi at Delhi’s only synagogue, the Judah Hyam Synagogue, which was built in 1956 since he relocated to New Delhi from his homeland of Pune in 1980. Malekar, a retired central government officer, is not a salaried Rabbi since Delhi lacks one. He does it of his own volition.
