IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences

Abstract

Studies conducted into minorities like the
Jews serves the purpose of sensitizing one about the existence of communities
other than one’s own one, thereby promoting harmony and better understanding of
other cultures. The Paper is titled ‘A Chronicle of Calcutta Jewry’. It lays
stress on the beginning of the Jewish community in Calcutta with reference to
the prominent Jewish families from the city. Most of the Jews in Calcutta, were
from the middle-east and came to be called as Baghdadi Jews. Initially they
were influenced by Arabic culture, language and customs, but later they became
Anglicized with English replacing Judeo-Arabic (Arabic written in Hebrew
script) as their language. A few social evils residing among the Jews briefly
discussed. Although, the Jews of our city never experienced direct consequences
of the Holocaust, they contributed wholeheartedly to the Jewish Relief Fund,
that was set up by the Jewish Relief Association (JRA) to help the victims of
the Shoah. The experience of a Jewish
girl amidst the violence during the partition of India has been briefly touched
upon.  The reason for the exodus of Jews
from Calcutta after Independence of India and the establishment of the State of
Israel has also been discussed. The contribution of the Jews to the lifestyle
of the city is described with case study on ‘Nahoums’, the famous Jewish bakery
of the city. A brief discussion on an eminent Jew from Calcutta who
distinguished himself in service to the nation – J.F.R. Jacob, popularly known
as Jack by his fellow soldiers has been given. The amicable relations between
the Jews and Muslims in Calcutta have also been briefly portrayed. The research
concludes with the prospect of the Jews becoming a part of the City’s history,
peacefully resting in their cemeteries.