Indian Jewish community in Israel lays foundation stone of cultural centre

Nevatim: Israel President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the Indian Jewish community which laid the foundation stone of a cultural centre here and fulfilled its promise made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2017 visit to the country.

Nevatim, a Moshav (agricultural community) in the Negev region of Israel, has become synonymous with the Indian Cochini Jews.

On Thursday evening, the place hosted hundreds of Indian Jewish community members from all over the country to witness the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Heritage and Cultural Centre of the Indian Jews.

The centre aims at not only preserving the heritage and rich culture of all the Jewish communities that have immigrated from India but will also serve as a base for the India-Israel trading centre.

The multi-million dollar project spread across three acres of land will have a museum, conference and events hall, and an Indian tropical garden. The first stage of its construction will see the coming up of a 300-seat multipurpose hall.

President Herzog, in a recorded video message to the community, praised its contribution to Israeli society, calling it a "part of the Israeli mosaic".

Recalling his late father's address to the Cochini community in the same Moshav in 1984 when he served as Israel's sixth president, Herzog said his father then said what the community has built is a matter of pride and now 40 years later he can say that: "it continues to bring pride to Israel".

Describing India as a "strong and influential democracy", the Israeli president said: "it is a true friend which stands by our side also in the international arena".

Calling the Indian Jewish community as the "living bridge between the two most ancient civilisations", Prime Minister Netanyahu in a recorded message recalled the huge community event when thousands of people came to see Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Israel in 2017.

He said it was an event he can never forget.

"The relationship between the two countries continues to grow and strengthen. The importance of the relationship has also consistently grown and increased", he said, adding that he has personally worked on this relationship.

A couple from the Baghdadi Indian Jewish community, Abe and Mariam Sofaer, flew down from the United States, especially for this ceremony.

"We are deeply grateful to India's tolerance and acceptance and embrace of the Jews who prospered there," said Marian, who is married to Abe from the Baghdadi community.

"If my husband was born in 1938 in Europe, he wouldn't stay alive. We want more people to know about that," she said in a choking voice, emphasising the lack of anti-semitism in India.

India's Ambassador to Israel Sanjeev Singla, Head of the Regional Council of Bnei Shimon, Nir Zamir, Chairman of Indian Jewish Heritage Centre (IJHC), Isaac Avner, Chairman of the Cochini Heritage Centre (CHC), Nehemya Shachaf joined the celebrations.

It was accompanied by a cultural programme representing all four Indian Jewish communities - Bene Israel from the Maharashtra region, the Cochini Jews, Bnei Menashe from the north-eastern region of India and the Baghdadis.

“It was a real pleasure to witness the simple but moving ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone, especially in the backdrop of the 75th anniversary of the independence of this country," Singla told PTI.

"It has been a tremendous community effort. And it was palpable in their joy and shared enthusiasm. Once it is complete by end-2024, this auditorium will serve to showcase the history and culture of the Indian Jewish community and their contribution to the mosaic of Israeli society,” he added.

In a press brief, the organisers highlighted that Prime Minister Modi during a meeting with the community at the time of his visit to Israel had called for the establishment of a heritage and cultural centre.

The community leaders spearheading the effort for the last six years said that that promise led to a persistent effort and has finally culminated into the laying of the foundation stone backed by several financiers.

The IJHC led by Avner also organised more than 100 meetings virtually, especially during the pandemic, to bring together the Indian Jewish community spread across the globe and to mobilise their support for the project.

"This is an effort to preserve a thousand-year-old tradition. It is a glorious legacy that survived against all odds and is now fading," Avner said.

Shachaf said that besides creating a "cultural and financial hub", the centre will also contribute to Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's vision of making the Negev desert bloom.

During the ceremony, the important backers of the effort signed on a declaration parchment, a copy of which was rolled and put in a scroll and buried.

Two more copies of the declaration parchment will be framed.

Hundreds of Indian Jews gathered on the occasion and were treated to a lively cultural programme and Indian delicacies drawn from all four communities.

There are about 85 to 90,000 Jews of Indian origin living in Israel.