An epic tale of a gifted Jewish family that loses and finds itself on Indian soil, The Book of Esther shines fresh light on the Jewish experience in India and becomes an affecting tale about love, home and belonging. The book gives us some interesting facts that you may not have known about the Bene Israel Jew community in India.
- Bene Israel Jews don’t work on Saturdays. (They don’t even cook!)
- Restrictions were placed on women by the community
- Where do they come from? The community isn’t sure.
- According to the lore seven couples were shipwrecked off the Konkan coast, these were the first Bene Israel Jews.
- Prophet Elijah (Eliyahu Hannabi) is special to the Bene Israel Jews.
- Idolatry is forbidden in the community.
- Kaala Jaadoo- What’s that? Black magic and the supernatural is rejected by the community.
- Your boy becoming a man? Not before there’s a bar mitzvah to celebrate it.
