Indian stories

Standard

From Point of No Return:

Here are various stories about Jews in and from India which Point of No Return readers have brought to my attention:

Brivdaker in the IDF.  Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

Israel Hayom reports:

Ronen Birvdaker, a Jewish Indian from Mumbai, was so moved by the 2008 terrorist attack in his home city that he decided to immigrate to Israel last year. On Wednesday, he completed his training to become a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces’ Golani Brigade. Birvdaker, 25, said that after the November 2008 attack — which killed 166 people, including a Chabad emissary and his wife — he felt that as a Jew there was no place for him to live other than in Israel.

“I was shocked by the assault on Jews, just because they were Jewish,” he said. “It affected me so much that I felt I had to do something, although at the time, I wasn’t sure what I could do. I thought about it for a while and arrived in Israel last year to serve in the IDF. I was determined to join Golani.” Birvdaker said he was inspired to join Golani after meeting Israelis in Mumbai.

Read article in full

Mattancherry Jew dies: The strength of the Jewish community in Mattancherry has been reduced to eight with the passing away of its leader 88-year-old Johnny Hallegua. Read article in full 

Bene Menashe: Israel to resume aliyah of ‘lost tribe’ from India and Burma Read article in full

Leave a comment