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As Kolkata celebrates
its tercentenary, let us turn back the pages of the city’s three
hundred year history and pause at a chapter which, though etched in a
firm hand, is steadily fading today. It is the story of the Jewish
community in Kolkata, which two centuries ago embraced the city as
its own, adding yet another dimension to Kolkata’s
multi-faceted growth.
In August 1978, an
ambitious young merchant traveled from his native town of Aleppo in
Syria in search of fortune, finally arriving in Kolkata – then
the hub of commercial activity and the seat of political power in
India. Shalom ben Aharom ben Obadiah Ha-Kohen, the first Jew to
settle in Kolkata, was by no means the first to visit the city.
Jewish traders long before him had visited this bastion of trade.
Historically however, the Jewish community of Kolkata is the
youngest for more than a thousand years ago, the Bene Israel and
Cochini Jews had settled in western and south India. Waves of
persecution of Middle Eastern rulers compelled them to seek shelter
in India, the land of religious tolerance and profitable trade. Not
surprisingly, most early; Jewish settlers were traders – links
in a chain of trading posts stretching from Shanghai to London –
dealing in opium, indigo, cotton yarn, silk and piece goods,
Veniceware and precious stones, gold leaf, ivory and coffee.
Kolkata’s Jewish
community belongs to the Eastern or Oriental group, tracing its
antecedents to migrants from Baghdad and other parts of the Middle
East, and through them, to the Babylonian Jews. In recent times
however, they tend to regard themselves as part of larger grouping
known as Sephardic (or the Jews of Spain) that consists roughly of
one-sixth of the world’s fifteen million Jews.
Leafing through the
diaries of Shalom Cohen, the founder, and his son-in-law, Moses Dueck
Cohen, the consolidator of the Kolkata community, a saga of
adventure, romance and enterprise unfolds. Flamboyant, at times
unscrupulous, but always daring, Shalom Cohen’s fortunes had
their ups and downs. Debts forced him to flee to Dutch Chinsurah and
French Chandernagore. Business took him to Lucknow as jeweler to the
Nawab of Oudh and to the court of Ranjit Singh to value the
‘invaluable’ Ko-I-noor. He died in 1836, and was buried in
the Jewish Cemetery in Narkeldanga that was his gift to the
community.
Unable to find a suitable
husband for his eldest daughter in the nascent community, Shalom
Cohen arranged a match with a friend’s son in Syria. Thus Moses
Dueck Cohen arrived in Kolkata in September 1806, and on Shalom
Cohen’s death, became the head of the community. Quite
different in character to the founder-father, Moses is best
remembered for his dedicated service to the community. As paquid
(official head), he played a leading role in documenting the
regulation of the congregation which have come to be known as the
community’s first Constitution August 29, 1825 and in the
establishment of the first formal synagogue – Neveh Shalom
(Abode of Peace, 1826) – as well as the first purpose-built
synagogue – Bethel – in Pollock street, where it still
stands.
Moses’s death in
1861 saw the end of an era. The mantle of leadership now fell on the
Baghdadis, who by this time, far outnumbered the original setters
from Aleppo.
A century after the
community had taken root in Kolkata, there were about 1900 Jews in
the city. They now began to move from their original homes in the
congested Chinabazaar area to the Burrabazaar and Kolutal wards.
Towards the close of the 19th century, the wealthier
members settled in the more select residential areas south of Park
Street. Following the order of the day, many began to adopt western
dress, etiquette and the English language, and came to play a
prominent part in Kolkata’s public life. However, even up to
the 1940s a few continued to dress in their traditional attire –
amama (turban), dagla or abay (long,
loose gown), hazim (broad belt) and jubba
(outer coat) for the men, while the women wore an intricately
embroidered blouse under the flowing dariyee kassa –
a long open-fronted dress, clinched at the top.
The Kolkata Jewry were
held secure for the first hundred years by strict observance of
synagogue prayers and religious festivals. The magnificent Maghen
David Synagogue (Shield of David) stands resplendent in crowded
Canning Street. Built in 1884 by Elia David Joseph Ezra, Kolkata’s
first Jewish Sheriff, it is reputed to be the largest and most
splendid in the Orient.
The Jewish calendar, like
that of the Bengali, is dotted with a number of High Holy days. Yom
Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is the “Sabbath of Sabbaths”
and is devoted to prayer and fasting. Of all their festivals the
most enjoyable, especially for children, is Purim (February or
March).
It commemorates the
rescue by Esther of the Jews of Persia. Children celebrate with
fireworks and receive cash presents. Adults gamble through the night
– games like Loo and Towli (backgammon) being popular. Pesah or
Passover, celebrating the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage
in Egypt, is in April. It was also a time for a thorough spring
cleaning of Jewish homes and kitchens to ensure that not a scrap of
leaven is adhered to any surface. Senior citizens remember the
community baking of Mussa (flat, round wafer-thin unleavened bread)
by Jewish women in the precincts of Bethel Synagogue before Passover.
Moist mussa is dipped in halek (thickened boiled juice
of dates garnished with almonds and walnuts) – a nostalgic link
with the country of their origin. The breaking of Pesah is marked by
eating Jewish pastries and the well-known Bengali sandesh and
rossagolla. During Sukkot, the synagogues wore a festive look, and
many Jewish homes built sikkas (tabernacles) of bamboo and palm
leaves which were decorated with lanterns, tinsel and seasonal fruit
– a practice which is a rarity today. Essentially a harvest
festival it was a time for rejoicing and thanksgiving.
Joyous occasions are
celebrated with a variety of Jewish of Kolkata have retained the
essential characteristics of their own cooking, sub-continental
flavours have somewhat transformed them from the original. They
continue to serve certain traditional dishes chiefly due to the fact
that Jewish cooking emanates form religious festivals, biblical
symbolism, traditional associations and the requirements of the
kosher law. Popular during Jewish feasts are Pilau Matabak (fish
pilau), Mahashas (stuffed vegetables with rice and chicken), Aloo
Makala with Methi Chutney (deep fried potatoes and green fenugreek
chutney), Maraq (light spicy chicken soup with vegetables), Chitanee
(Chicken in onion sauce) and Fluden (layered fruit pudding).
The biblical admonition:
“Thou shalt not cook the kid in its mother’s milk” is
the humane law which led to the separation of dairy and meat foods.
Till the early 20th century most Kolkata Jews, at least
at home, were strictly kosher. Often the kitchen was supervised by
an elderly Jewsih woman –perhaps a poor relative or widow. A
retinue of Muslim cooks from Midnapore district worked in the homes
of the affluent. They were both favoured and feared by their Jewish
memsahibs whose knowledge of Jewish cuisine and customs sometimes
fell far short of that of their meticulous bawarchi
(cook). Senior members of the community lament that the exquisite
sets of Limoges crockery; and silver cutlery which have been handed
down gather dust in old Jewish homes – now mere reminders of the
days when Pesah was scrupulously kept. Though the Mussa Board still
functions, the demand for unleavened bread is almost nought and a
kosher kitchen difficult to maintain. With the memsahibs gone, the
Muslim cook with his jealously guarded treasure trove of Jewish
delicacies is a fast dying institution.
A member of the community
in Kolkata reminisces: “Sometimes weddings or engagement
parties were catered at home. I’ll never forget watching the
food for hundreds of people being cooked on open fires in the
courtyard of the family home. It was a magical scene, as was the
sight of the bridegroom and his retinue approaching the house, with
torches and bearing gifts for the future bride.”
In the 20s and 30s, the
elite of the community enjoyed a privileged life, attending
English-speaking schools and embracing several aspects of Western
culture. The “Kolkata Season” (November to February) was
given over to lavish parties, ceremonial gatherings, the races and
other sporting events. The colonial mansions and sprawling gardens
of such illustrious families as the Ezras, B.N. Elias, Gubbay,
Curlenders and Myers were the venues of grand dinners and dances.
The business acumen and Midas touch of these families is still
remembered today with awe and admiration. Perhaps the most
noteworthy is the rags to riches tale of B.N. Elias. From humble
beginnings, Benjamin Nissim Elias built an industrial empire
encompassing the National Tobacco Company, jute mills, dairy farming,
fertilizers, real estate, insurance and coal mining that soon earned
him the epithet of the “Croesus” of the community. The
name “Ezra” is synonymous with some of Kolkata’s most
elegant buildings – Essplanade, Chowringhee and Ezra Mansions.
Two members of the family – Joseph and David – were
appointed Sheriffs of Kolkata. The latter was knighted in 1927, and
served as Director of the Reserve Bank of India, several industrial
organizations, the Zoological Gardens and the Bengal Veterinary
College. Though most of the descendants of these a families have
migrated to other parts of the world, while they were in Kolkata,
they provided employment to a large section of their community and
their philanthropic activities benefited those both within and
out-side it.
But despite their
westernization, most Jewish families were very conservative,
especially with regard to their women. As Sally Ludden Solomon
remarks: “During the break in services, it was customary for us
to look for our favourite boyfriends strolling in the courtyard that
separated the two synagogues (Neveh Shalom and Maghen David). There
was no question but that we would ‘marry Jewish’, according
to the wishes of our parents.”
With the fall of Burma
and Singapore, the war was practically on Kolkata’s doorstep.
There was a massive influx of Jews fleeing from that country, many of
whom had to trek thousands of miles before they reached the safety of
India. As a result, Kolkata’s Jewish population swelled to an
all time high of 3800 or thereabouts. A central body, the Jewish
Association of Kolkata, was formed in 1945, and its monthly paper
“Shema” became the community’s mouthpiece.
Esmond David Ezra (who
has recently published a chronicle on the Kolkata Jewry) recalls
that in the latter half of 1942 the city became an important staging
post for the Allied Forces and great hospitality was shown by the
Kolkata community to the Jewish members of the forces. The Judean
Club – formed in 1929 and closed down in the mid-70s-became very
popular with regular dances and social events being organsied. He
remembers the largest congregation ever at Maghen David which
included many Jewish servicemen on Kol Nidre night in September 1945.
The impact of the war on the women is best described in Sally Luddy
Solomon’s words: “Young women were quickly becoming war
brides. Jewish parents, many of whom had never left the shores of
India, found themselves bidding farewell to their daughters with very
little hope of ever seeing them again. And so we scattered to the
north, south, east and west – our childhood receding into a
never to be forgotten dream.”
On August 15, 1947 India
won her independence, and in May 1948, the State of Israel was born.
Kolkata with her legendary warmth had drawn these people form a
distant land within her fold, and now, a century and a half later,
she watched with regret the exodus of these very same people to their
“Promised Land.”
Though many of the well
known Jewish institutions are mere shadows of their past, a few
remain, providing sterling service to those who have stayed back.
The Jewish Women’s League, formed in 1913, continues its
numerous welfare activities. The Jewish Girl’s School – at
one time among the best in the city which combined a British style
curriculum with Hebrew studies – and Elias Myer Free School have
thrown open their doors to all communities and the handful of Jewish
students on their rolls are of mixed parentage. But a agleam of hope
for the dwindling community is found in Nahoum & Sons, occupying
pride of place in New Market. Today, this family is perhaps the sole
torch bearer of a tradition of flourishing business Kolkata had once
nurtured. It is a popular meeting place for former Kolkata Jews on
vacation from abroad for whom Kolkata still holds a special magic.
The Kolkatan’s loyalty to Nahoum’s confectionaries
continues unshaken, and be it birthdays, Durga Pja or Christmas,
their delicacies form an important part of the festivities.
The Jewish population
presently stands at a mere 100 or so, but the community still forms
an intrinsic part of Kolkata’s nine million. Those who remain
reminisce about “the good old days.” In place of Arabic
and Hebrew, English and the vernacular have taken firm root in their
homes, while fragrant whiffs of curries waft out of their kitchens.
“Synagogue Street” is just another lane in the labyrinth of
Kolkata’s streets, but stands as a silent reminder of the
community’s zeal and faith in a strange land. The Maghen David,
once resounding with incantations in Hebrew, seldom echoes with
recitations from the Talmud and Torah. The ultra-conservative
community have thrown open their doors to intermarriages, their
strong Semiitic features blurring with time. An occasional candle at
Hannkkah brings back waves of nostalgia into the Jewish home, and the
very same grit and determination that brought Shalom Cohen and Moses
Dueck Cohen all the way form Syria lives on in them. Rosh Hashnah
(New Year), the rare wedding and barmitzwah are welcomed with great
enthusiasm and rejoicing, yet as one septuagenarian says: “Nobody
today thinks of long term planning. A time will come when the only
Jews left will be parents, grand parents and great grand parents.
It’s a transitional period. Whether it will be tragic or happy,
history will decide.”
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