Namaste shalom by Sosh Design

FEBRUARY 2018

EDITOR

Tarun Vijay

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sameer Chandra

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Noah Israel Raj Chilamakuri

ART DIRECTOR

Foram Gandhi Avlani Shruti Mahimtura

SENIOR PICTURE COORDINATOR Ritwik

CREATIVE LAYOUT Virat Tiwari

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Rajeev Chandrasekhar Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha Poonam Mahajan Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha Kenneth Robbins Collector, Archivist & Scholar Ralphy Jhirad President & Managing Trustee, Bene Israel Heritage Museum and Geneological Research Centre P.R. Kumaraswamy Professor, Centre for West Asian Studies Jawaharlal Nehru University CFO KUSH KUMAR BANSAL SALES CIRCULATION & MARKETING Chitwan Sharma Kunal Singh COVER PHOTO Kobi Gideon/GPO/Flash90

DELHI OFFICE: P-11, Green Park Extension, New Delhi, 110016, India MUMBAI OFFICE: BIHMGRC, D-10, Model House, Proctor Road, Grant Road East, Mumbai 400004, India USA OFFICE: 11511 Cavalier Landing Ct, Fairfax, VA 22030 USA ISRAEL OFFICE Indian Jewish Heritage and Bene Israel Genealogy Research 12/3,Anderson Street,Petah Tiqwa, Israel,49203:

Contact us at editornamasteshalom@gmail.com Printed and published by Tarun Vijay, Hon President Bene Israel Heritage Museum and Genealogical Research Centre, Mumbai on behalf of Mount Kailash Media Pvt. Ltd. and printed at Indian Printing Works, 4 E Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi 110055 and published at P 11 Green Park Extn, New Delhi . Editor - Tarun Vijay

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

10 15 21 30

WELCOMING NETANYAHU-GROWING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Rajeev Chandrasekhar on importance of Netanyahu’s India visit

12 18 26

NETANYAHU IN INDIA, A NEW MILESTONE

Rupa Subramanya on the future of India-Israel relations

DE-HYPHENATING BI LATERAL TIES

Prafulla Ketkar on Bridging ties between India and Israel

INDIA IS A SPECIAL COUNTRY FOR ISRAEL

David Keynan on how India is an imporntant ally to Israel

I N

C O N V E R S A T I O N

STUDY OF PAST MAY HOLD FUTURE FOR INDIA-ISRAEL

Sanjeev Sanyal on significance of cultural similarities from the history

MY ISRAEL JOURNEY

P R Kumaraswamy’s account of his Israel journey

P H O T O

F E A T U R E

MODI IN ISRAEL

A photo essay documenting the historic journey of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

I N T E R V I E W

ISRAEL IS OUR PARTNER TO ACHIEVE HIGH GROWTH

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on importance of Israel as an important ally

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A JEW IN INDIA

Eddna Samuel on her experiences as a Jew in India.

THERE IS A LONG STANDING LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN INDIA AND JEWS

Kenneth Robbins on the lives of prominent Jews in India

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RAYS OF HOPE IN ISRAEL

45 52

Aarti Tikoo Singh on the hopes of peace in Israel

RENEWAL OF AN ANCIENT BOND

Vijeta Uniyal on ancient Indo-Israel friendship

FROM MY OWN GARDEN

Annu Kalra on Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism Hindi Section

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NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Editorial From Ganga to Jerusalem People of Jewish faith from Jerusalem and people of the Ganges are coming together in harmony today because of a timeless act two thousand years ago that added a beautiful pattern on the fabric of Mother India.

I have known friends who yearned to go to their Dharmabhumi- the holy land of faith- Israel but in their heart remained Indians, as India remained their Matrubhumi- the Mother land. Together our cultures transformed the air of Alibaug and Cochin by spreading joy while celebrating Hanukkah, Diwali together.

This magazine is dedicated to the people of the Jewish faith and of all faiths of India who did something phenomenal together two thousand years ago beginning on the shores of Alibaug and set a principal that we still follow today. These values are inspired by their saga of valor and an unwavering commitment to contribute their best to enhance the glory of the cultures of India and Israel. They have contributed immensely to the growth of our journey together.

Not as guests or casual visitors, but as one of us. The Indian cinema, arts, culture, philanthropy, military victories, political and social arena and, above all, the humanitarian aspect of our national life has essentially had a Jewish thread always and everywhere. Namaste Shalom appeals itself to that spirit of giving and not wanting anything in return. We promise to give you stories from the Ganges to Jerusalem - in each issue. Please share your ideas, thoughts, anecdotes, and articles with Namaste Shalom -you are invited to be a part of Namaste Shalom. It is a four thousand six hundred and ten kilometer mile long voyage of hope, faith and togetherness that begins with prayers in temples, synagogues, mosques & churches and completes in the temple at the mount. Prime Minister Narendra Bhai Modiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic and path breaking visit to Israel in September last year will remain a milestone in bilateral relations as glorious and

as unforgettable as the stars in the sky and the tricolors on our flag. It has created a new script for our friendship, and we have found it befitting that on the occasion of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s India visit, we are launching Namaste Shalom.

This is dedicated to the chemistry of the friendship between Modi and Netanyahu, between the two great people of India and Israel. It shall be a cross-cultural embarkation of sharing beliefs and telling the story of Indians and Jewish people world over. Thanks a million to the President Shri Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Modi ji for your encouragement and support to this noble cause.

Our dear Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis has been a great help and guide to our efforts and is creating a new chapter of friendship by helping build a historic museum and memorial at Alibaug to pay homage to the great story of the arrival of the Jewish people two millenniums ago. Thank you Devendra ji for your prompt and swift action on this matter of great emotional and historical significance.

The Bene Israel Heritage Museum and Genealogical Research Centre has been the fundamental to this effort and no words of thanks are enough to express our gratitude to all dear friends in the Mumbai Jewry. In the best traditions of those of our ancestors who lay the foundation of this mutual trust and togetherness, this magazine is dedicated with humility.

We seek and pray for your blessings, support and guidance. The help and support from friends for Namaste Shalom has been amazing, and it has overwhelmed us. Looking forward seeing you in our next issue, Namaste Shalom Tarun Vijay NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Welcoming

A Friend

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Delhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VIP airport on 14th January, 2018 - a friendship beyond protocols. 6

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We l co m i n g

Netanyahu Growing Strategic Partnership

The Indo-Israel relationship has had a long history, despite most of that history being behind closed doors and kept secret. It is only in recent years that the relationship is becoming more visible and formal. Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Communities have always had a home in India and have been treated with warmth and respect. I, like many, have admired the advancements made by Israelis amidst odds stacked against them over the last many decades and appreciate the dogged determination of succeeding that they have exhibited to the world.

rime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Israel in July 2017 clearly signalled India’s intention to formally build a multidimensional strategic relationship between the two countries. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to India catalyzes that further, ending years of an ambiguous relationship and transforming that to one of the enduring ones going forward. India-Israel cooperation has expanded significantly since 2014 with Prime Minister Modi assuming office. The two countries continued their positive relationship into 2015, with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon making the first ever official visit to India in February where he along with many other top Israeli defense officials, attended the Aero India exhibition held in Bangalore. The visit fulfilled the purpose of increasing interaction and cooperation between Israel and India. Following the visit of the Israeli Defence Minister, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs Minister visited Israel in January 2016 which clearly established India’s intentions of positive engagements henceforth. 10

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India and Israel – A friendship that was in the making for decades. For many in India – a more engaging relationship with Israel was a long time coming. The two cradles of civilizations have nurtured their respective heritage over centuries. Throughout history, the Jewish

Many Indians and Israelis are conscious of the cultural links between our nations which serve as a foundation for strengthening ties in this modern age. Jewish presence in India goes back millennia, with Jewish sailors trading with kingdoms which are now parts of modern day Kerala. India has always served as a home for Jewish people seeking sanctuary from persecution – from as way back during troubled times such as –the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC by the forces of Babylon and during their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula following the Spanish Inquisition and in contemporary times during the Nazi Holocaust of World War2. Therefore, it is a recognition of that long and deep historical connect

India and Israel have agreed to establish a “Strategic Partnership in Water and Agriculture” – that will focus on water conservation, waste-water treatment and its reuse for agriculture, desalination, water utility reforms, and the cleaning of the Ganges that the Prime Minister Modi announced the opening of an Indian Cultural Centre in Israel. As much as we look back, recognize and celebrate our links of heritage, history and culture – the IndiaIsrael relation is as much about the future. A future with shared commitment to Technology and Innovation, values of democracy and a determination to build a safe country for their people and at the same time support global co-operation and coexistence amongst nation and people. Water and Agriculture The two areas of water and agriculture are key to the future of both nations and indeed most other nations. For many decades, India has ignored both areas – lacking technology and governance reforms that were so sorely required. Decades of farm distress and emerging signs of a water crisis are all results of that apathy and neglect – creating a sense of urgency on the need for real change in these areas. India and Israel have agreed to establish a “Strategic Partnership in Water and Agriculture” – that will focus on water conservation, wastewater treatment and its reuse for agriculture, desalination,

water utility reforms, and the cleaning of the Ganges and other rivers using advanced water technologies. All these areas of focus are vital for transforming our agriculture and water sectors. Israel is a natural partner in these areas being a pioneer in water conservation technologies and has been acknowledged worldwide for her success in water management. While water is scarce in Israel, India’s water resources are fast depleting and becoming increasingly polluted. Defence and Cybersecurity The Indo-Israel relationship also has had a long history, despite most of that history being behind closed doors and kept secret. It is only in recent years that the relationship is becoming more visible and formal. The Indian security challenges are not unlike what Israel faces – surrounded as they are by hostile nations and being targeted by Terrorism for several decades. India after years of a weak approach to Terrorism has only recently started asserting right to protect its sovereignity, territory and people.

can span a large spectrum of win-win opportunities. In coming years, the ongoing technological disruptions will deepen. Technology and Innovation will drive global economies and competitive advantage amongst nations. India and Israel partnership can be a significant element in this ongoing revolution of innovation and Technology. Creating Investment flows, Intellectual properties and jobs. Beyond the obvious benefits of the relationship – This partnership can have an important impact of replacing the narrative of hate and terrorism in the Middle East with one of Development, Opportunities and mutual respect – as two shining democracies in their respective regions surrounded by dictatorships or religious authoritarianism. The visit of PM Netanyahu will further boost the strategic opportunities for Israel to partner with two of the worlds biggest Democracies and Economies, USA and India.

Innovation and Technology At a time when terrorism has become a global threat – the co-operation between nations and their Intelligence agencies is becoming more urgent and real. The co-operation between the two countries in this area

Rajeev Chandrasekhar is a renowned Indian politician and entrepreneur who is currently serving as Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament. NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Netanyahu in India

A New

Milestone The personal rapport between Netanyahu and Modi is without doubt one of the factors that has helped jumpstart the bilateral relationship which had fallen into the doldrums during the ten year rule by the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Rupa Subramanya

he burgeoning relationship between India and Israel achieves an important new milestone with the visit to India in January by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is only the second official visit to India by a sitting Israeli prime minister since formal diplomatic relations were established in 1992. Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit follows hard on the heels of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit to Israel in July 2017. That was a first, the first ever official visit to Israel by a sitting Indian prime minister. The personal rapport between Natanyahu and Modi is without doubt one of the factors that has helped jumpstart the bilateral relationship which had fallen into the doldrums during the ten year rule by the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. 12

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It’s important to recall that Modi began ramping up relations with Israel even before he became prime minister, during his time as chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014. When Modi took the Bharatiya Janata Party led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to a landslide election victory in May 2014, Netanyahu was one of the first foreign leaders to congratulate him. Growing Cooperation It’s therefore perhaps fitting that Modi’s visit to Israel to meet Netanyahu was a first, an important visit which advanced the IndiaIsrael bilateral relationship along a number of tangible different fronts. Among other accomplishments, the two countries advanced their cooperation on agriculture and water management, in space and defence projects, cyber security, and strengthening people to people contacts among others. In tandem with the official visits, is a vibrant track to diplomacy in which I myself had the pleasure of participating on a visit to Israel in 2017 in advance of Modi’s visit.

Israel boasts some 500 startups, and 75 different companies are accompanying Netanyahu to India in the hopes of striking bilateral deals with their Indian counterparts.

In terms of what to look for during Netanyahu’s forthcoming visit to India to meet Modi, it is expected that the Israeli prime minister will meet Indian business leaders and promote cooperation on innovative technologies. Israel boasts some 500 startups, and 75 different companies are accompanying Netanyahu to India in the hopes of striking bilateral deals with their Indian counterparts.

Apart from business dealings, there’s a symbolic and emotionally visit to the Chabad house, one of the targets of Pakistani led terrorists who attacked the city on November 26, 2008. The Muslim Factor Given the warmth of the relationship as it exists today, it’s hard to believe that the official relationship started as recently as 1992, when then Indian prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao established formal diplomatic relations with Israel. While it’s true that India was one of the first countries to recognize the state of Israel in 1950, then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not see fit to open formal diplomatic relations with Israel so as to avoid offending India’s Arab “friends” and no doubt also not to offend the large Muslim minority in India which was firmly behind the cause of Palestine and unsupportive of the newly created Jewish state. It is no accident that important milestones in the India-Israel NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

bilateral relationship have occurred when a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty of the Congress party has not been in power. Notably, important steps were taken by Rao already mentioned and apart from Modi, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who presided over a BJP led NDA government. Ideological Kinship Political economy considerations help explain this. As suggested, Nehru’s reluctance to embrace Israel was quite explicitly a function of his unease at upsetting India’s allies in the Arab world. Rao, who broke with this reasoning was a maverick in many different ways, most famously for ushering in India’s era of economic liberalization. The BJP under both Vajpayee and Modi have had a markedly more pro-Israeli and pro-American foreign policy and security stance than the Congress and left governments which apart from the BJP have led India since the early 1990s. One reason for this is an obvious ideological kinship between the principles of Zionism and of Hindutva. Just as Zionism proclaims that the land of Israel is the natural and permanent home of all Jewish peoples, Hindutva theorists believe that India is the natural and permanent home of the world’s Hindus. In other words, proponents of Hindutva have a basic and instinctive sympathy for the Jewish claim to the land of Israel. Netanyahu’s Likud Party, like Modi and the BJP are hawkish on foreign policy and security. Another kinship between the two countries and their present leaders is a recognition that each country is surrounded by hostile, unstable and dangerous neighbours, many of whom would like to extinguish or emasculate Israel or India, as the case may be. Another root of the increasingly warm bilateral relationship is indeed the human element. After 14

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On my visit to Israel, I was struck by the incredible warmth of the Israeli people toward an Indian visitor unlike any other country in the world I’ve visited. In my experience, India continues to inspire the average Israeli in a way that’s unique in Indian soft power anywhere in the world.

completing their compulsory military service, many Israeli young men and women choose to spend weeks, months or even a year of more decompressing in India. They return to Israel with fond feelings for the country, its people, culture, fashions and cuisine. On my visit to Israel last year, I was struck by the incredible warmth of the Israeli people toward an Indian visitor unlike any other country in the world I’ve visited. In my experience, India a land of acceptance continue to inspire the average Israeli in a way that’s unique in Indian soft power anywhere in the world. One important ongoing conduit for the people to people relationship are the Jewish communities from India who’ve resettled in Israel but keep ties with family and friends back home. These communities are a reminder of the unique experience of Judaism in India. Indians should be proud of the fact that India is the one country in the world where Jewish settlers faced no indigenous anti-semitism.

Anti-semitism came to India brought by outsiders, whether the Portuguese or the British colonizers. We should also recall that the outmigration of members of the Jewish community from India to Israel is not to escape persecution, as it is in many other places but rather to seek better opportunities and a better life surrounded by their co-religionists. We should hope and fully expect that the India-Israel relationship will continue to go from strength to strength following Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to India. Whether it is economic or defence cooperation, India and Israel are natural partners, brought together not just by mutual self-interest but by shared values. For India in particular, the main challenge will be to continue to wean ourselves from the habitual and knee-jerk support of Arab causes and recognize fully the natural kinship with Israel. This will involve making some tough decisions down the road, such as for example, if the Jerusalem question again features in a vote at the United Nations. India must not be squeamish about proclaiming the virtues of our friendship with Israel and our foreign policy cannot be helped captive by outmoded and irrelevant ways of seeing the world that go back to Nehru’s failed non-alignment. Even with that cautionary note, it is important to stress that IndiaIsrael relations are at an all time high and only set to get better from here. The friendship between India and Israel as Netanyahu put it best himself when he said: “It’s a marriage really made in heaven but we’re implementing it here on Earth.” Rupa Subramanya is an economist and researcher based in Mumbai. She’s co-author of Indianomix: Making Sense of Modern India (Random House 2012).

Prafulla Ketkar

De-hyphenating

Bilateral Ties

n the backdrop of India’s vote at the UN against the US move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu is visiting India. He will be the only second by any Israeli Prime Minister since the formalisation of diplomatic relations in 1992. In 2003, Ariel Sharon’s trip was the first one. Though trade, agriculture and science and technology have been the major areas of cooperation for both the countries, civilisational linkages between Hindus and Jews and common concerns on counter-terrorism are the real drivers that is underpinning of the bilateral ties. The real threat to this has been the conventional policy linking of bilateral relations with the Israel-Palestine Conflict by previous Indian Governments. While the official diplomatic ties completing 25 years, how totake the de-hyphenation process forward in bilateral relations is the key question that we need to address. Unloading the ‘Secular’ Baggage After voting against the Partitioning of Palestine plan of 1947 and admission of Israel to the United

India and Israel have certainly moved faster on bilateral track in the last 25 years. Compare many other relationships, this one is a more vibrant and trustworthy bilateral relationship. Nations in 1949, India officially recognised the State of Israel on September 17, 1950. Following India’s recognition of Israel, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru stated, “We would have [recognised Israel] long ago, because Israel is a fact. We refrained because of our desire not to offend the sentiments of our friends in the Arab countries.” Of course, the oil-dependent on the Arab World, India was very cautious while dealing with Israel, though it was believed as ‘a fact’. More importantly, it was the fraudulent execution of ‘secularism’ that thwarted all chances of strengthening the bilateral ties with Israel on civilisational terms. Though, Jews always recognised India as the true friend and the only country where they did not have to face the persecution, the Congress, Communists, Socialists, Liberal

intellectuals – the ‘secularists’ always gave the prime importance to the ‘Palestine Cause’, linking it to the Muslims of India. The honourable exception was HinduNationalists who always admired Israel’s struggle for nationhood and believed that India should have a strong ties with the Jew country. The deceptive consideration of the universal brotherhood of Islam led to partition of India. The ‘Muslim sentiments’ was the key factor in taking a stand on many key domestic and global issues and support to the Caliphat movement was a starting point for it. After independence, the same deception guided not only the domestic political considerations but also our foreign policy choices and the ‘informality’ in bilateral relations with Israel is the classic example of that. This policy continued even during the NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

difficult times of 1962 War with China and 1971 War with Pakistan, when Israel was ready to support India militarily in exchange of full diplomatic ties. Only in 1992, under 16

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

the leadership of P.V. Narasimha Rao, India established a fullfledged diplomatic relationship with Israel by opening an embassy in Tel Aviv. Fortunately, the process was taken forward in the post Cold-War environment by all the successive governments. Of course, the ability of defencestrong nation exhibited its ability to supply military technology and equipments to India during the times of duress at the time of Kargil conflict. The last thaw in this process was Prime Minister Modi visiting Israel in July 2017, without visiting Palestine. Rekindling the Natural Alliance Primarily, there are two reasons that should be foundation of India-Israel relations – civilisational ethos and commitment to democracy. These two should be positive imperators of the bilateral relations and not on the negative presumption of alliance against

the Muslim world. Common experience derived from ‘deep history and culture’ is an important factor not appreciated by many while assessing this relationship. The Indian and Jewish civilizations are much older than many other existing religious with a strong tradition of inter-religious dialogue and acceptance. Words of Sanskrit origin appeared in the Hebrew Bible 3,000 years ago, while Jewish authors of Roman times, rabbis of the Talmud, and Jewish traders and philosophers in the Middle Ages spoke of India. Both Hinduism and Judaism do not practice religious conversion as a method of propagation and still believe that ‘the Supreme Being’ is one and omnipresent. The strong connect with the nature and belief in knowledge society is also common to both the civilisations. The common experiences of historical persecution and present day terrorism are important add on factors to this.

The positive experiences of Jewish people in India and contribution of Indian soldiers in Battle of Haifa (1918) that proved to be critical in creation of Israel in 1948 can come handy in furthering the cause. Both the countries attained their independent status on the world scene and adopted democratic form of governments despite all odds. India and Israel not only exemplified smooth democratic functioning but also created their own vibrant democratic culture. This soft-power foundation of civilisational and democratic values would further enhance the possibility of de-hyphenated bilateral relations. The way forward India and Israel have certainly moved faster on bilateral track in the last 25 years. Compare many other relationships, this one is more vibrant and trustworthy bilateral relationship. Trade, technology and defense are definite potential areas that will take it forward in the conducive environment. The growing prominence of innovation in economic activity can strengthen the bond between the two economies. Still this would not be sufficient to absorb the shocks of international pressures and turmoil. Israel, with the struggle for existence since inception, has learnt the art of dealing with contradictions effectively. There is a lesson or two in this regard that India can learn.

There are many Jews in Israel who carry India with them and still, there are number of Jews in India for whom India is a motherland. In India, very few have enough exposure to Judaism, Hebrew or Israel. The absence of diplomatic relations did not allow us to have a strong Indian diaspora in Israel. Education and science and technology are two fields that can provide ample opportunities to quality human resource of India in Israel. Exploring this possibility to the maximum extent will be worthwhile for both the countries.

There are many Jews in Israel who carry India with them and there are number of Jews in India for whom India is a motherland. It is not just the power you possess but rightful exhibition of the same at the right time is important in modern day Westphalian realist world. Modi led Government is experimenting with the same in many regards. The experiences of Israel can come handy in this endeavour.

Israel has created a system of reviving, preserving and recontexualising own knowledge system to carve out the niche for self on the global scene. India is still finding hard to come out of the colonial mindset, especially in the intellectual space. Sharing experiences with each other in this regard would be helpful in building confidence about each ones role in the emerging world order.

The process de-linking the IndiaIsrael relations from the Palestine conflict and the larger Islamic world is imperative not just for the two countries involved but for the entire world. The revival of civilisational wisdom in managing the bilateral relationship in a complex world by these two countries can be a role model for many others. Both the countries have shown enough maturity by understanding and accepting each other’s compulsions on the international fora. Now deepening the bilateral ties with or without the stable conditions in the Islamic World is the real test. The visit of Prime Minister Netanyahu to India can be a step forward in that direction. Prafulla Ketkar is Editor of Organiser Weekly. He is well known for his writings on strategic and foreign policy issues. Ketkar is co-author of the book ‘Alternative Approaches to Security’.

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India is a special country for Israel All we need is to speed up the implementation level of all the MOAs signed till now.

ndia and Israel have both shared an unparalleled history that dates to preindependence period. India being a cultural-rich nation has been an influential support system for both; Israel as a nation and its citizens. We consider India as our strongest friend in Asia and as Israelis have deepest regards for the association that we have with India in different facets of trade and personal relationship. Our former honorable PM Ariel Sharon in 2002, deemed Indian Foreign Minister visit by Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna a historical step towards the building of the strong foundation of economic relations between the two nations. As India would agree, the key objective of Israeli Chamber of Commerce is to promote Indo-Israel business, trade, and economic relations through various business-oriented initiatives such as information and technology transfer, strategic alliances, joint ventures etc. We have been over the years growing focus on leveraging each other’s capabilities in the field of Information Technology, 18

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Water Technologies, Solar etc. Defense equipment procurement, agriculture, foreign diplomacy and tourism hold extremely important position in Indo-Israel relations.India and Israel have deep defense and security ties. Israel has emerged India’s 3rd largest arms suppliers following its exemplary support extended to India during Kargil in 1999.I believe conglomeration of India and Israel entrepreneurs and businessmen will not only help both the economies grow rather it will also help the governments of both the nations in bringing sustainable reforms in their governing policies that will also reduce the role of redtapism in our bureaucratic-bound culture. When we talk of start-ups, the first nation that world thinks of is Silicon Valley.

A startup nation It delights me to see Israel now emerging as a “Startup Nation” on a global platform. Our strength lies in our people who possess extreme

David Keynan determination, enterprise, and enthusiasm. We have worked extensively to develop the most robust technology ecosystem and have grown in fields like Water Technology, Robotics, Manufacturing Equipment, Military etc. The world is a testimony to the success we achieved in “The Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War”. This has been possible only because of our robust technology systems developed over the years. Israel sees India as a powerful and influential country and we share similar socialist roots and I am grateful for the trust that India has shown on us and would be very happy to see Indian youth grow and flourish. With strong infrastructure and skilled manpower availability, we see India as a huge opportunity for Israeli startups and investors looking to expand in India. This has been substantiated in various delegation to and from India. The recent NASSCOM delegation visit in Israel discussed the prospects for strengthening the existing alliances between the two countries and seeking new partnerships. Initiatives like these

With the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the pipeline, bilateral trade is expected to more than double in future.

along with various other programs such as SLIP programs, “Startup India” programs launched by PM Modi and MASHAV, Israel core international development programwould boost India youth to achieve its potential. I believe Indian youth is dynamic and full of required zeal to support India growth trajectory. India is special for Israel India is a special country. Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee said, “The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. India is not just a geographical entity. It carries a history of ideas, philosophy, intellect, industrial genius, craft, innovation, and experience.” This is very true. India is known all over the world as a

true example of a nation with extreme cultural-religion and cast diversity. Israel shares 5000 years old history with India. Our people feel safe working here and value the love and compassion that they witnessed even during 26/11. It was very generous of Mr. Modi to meet our 26/11 child survivor Moshe Holtzbergand his nanny Sandra Samuelsduring his visit to Israel in 2017 and similarly, Jewish people of Indian origin find a bond of affection in Israel.

All this instills a lot of trust in us to further strengthen our ties with India. As part of his visit, we re-iterated on the importance of tourism in both nations and we are already seeing an increase in

tourism between the two nations.

Transforming agriculture sector Israel has excellence in water management techniques. Israel worked towards eradicating water deficiency in its own nation by developing advanced technology solutions for wastewater management, purification and water reuse in agriculture and industrial sector. Under the Joint Declaration for Cooperation in Water Technologies signed between the Indian Ministry of Urban Development and the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, Israel has pledged to assist India in reducing the cost

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

The world is a testimony to the success we achieved in “The Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War”. This has been possible only because of our robust technology systems developed over the years. Israel sees India as a powerful and influential country.

of desalination of water as well as recycling of water for irrigation purposes. PM Modi catalyzed to initiate joint-ventures between India and Israel in the field of water management. India is an agricultural farming nation and we would be delighted to extend our support to India in leveraging our technology for irrigation management. First, I believe, British policies and plans in irrigation through canals need to be iterated and should be amended from time to time. Government should increase focus on organic farming that will reduce water consumption in the agricultural sector. Water treatment plants are being established by the local and state governments in India. This water can be used for irrigation in the rural and suburban agricultural areas.

India is Israel’s 10th largest trading partner. After the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992, civilian bilateral trade has grown from $200 million in 1992 to about $5 billion. With the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in the pipeline, this is expected to more than double in future. We have historical import-export relationships with each other.

We rely on India for import of items that include precious stones and metals, chemical products, plants and vegetable products etc. while we export items such as precious stones and metals, chemical and mineral products, base metals, machinery, and transport equipment etc. Israel is making a strong push for FTA and we have had multiple discussions with India on this.

Bilateral relations between India and Israel had strengthened significantly to US$ 5.04 billion in 2016-17. Israel is keen to boost the bilateral trade to US$ 10 billion by 2021-22 and it believes that a comprehensive trade pact will be instrumental in increasing two-way trade as well flow of investments. 20

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During the visit of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel and India havesigned a series of bilateral agreements, including in the fields of aviation, renewable energy, cybersecurity, alternative medicine, and cinema. These agreements will help boost the numbers significantly. We only lack in our speed of implementation and we need to be more aggressive in pushing this area. India space agency ISRO launched a satellite for Israel that shows we have very good trade relationships with India when it comes to military and arms. All we need is to speed up the implementation level of all the MOA’s signed till now and jointventures under process. We have made a strong push in our relationship with the change in leadership. Hurdles have been started to move out of the way and I am very positive with the government initiatives of both the nations. Shared concerns about terrorism have proven to be a key driver.

David Keynan is Vice Chairman at Federation of Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce. He was previously member of the Intel Capital India Team. His diverse roles in the workings of India Israel trade relations include experiences such as being the Vice Chairman of the Technology Committee at the Israel-Asia Chamber of Commerce and also as the Chairman of the India Committee at IATI.

In conversation with

Sanjeev Sanyal

Study of past may hold future for

India-Israel ties

Sanjeev Sanyal is an Indian economist, bestselling

Leader 2010” by the World Economic Forum at Davos.

writer,

theorist.

He is also the author of four best selling books “The

Currently he is the Principal Economic Adviser in

Indian Renaissance: India’s Rise after a Thousand

the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. He is

Years of Decline” (published by Penguin and World

widely regarded as one of Asia’s leading economists

Scientific), “Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History

and was Deutsche Bank’s Global Strategist and a

of India’s Geography”, and The Ocean of Churn: How

Managing Director till 2015. A Rhodes Scholar and

human history was shaped by the Indian Ocean

Eisenhower Fellow, he was named “Young Global

(Penguin, 2016).

environmentalist,

and

urban

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

It is mentioned in Ashoka’s Edicts of sending ambassadors to the Greeks of the Eastern Mediterranean, and of course, what is now the state of Israel,

A 19th century Bene Israel family Editor: Namaste Shalom! Sanjeev, it’s an honour to speak to you. We are very grateful that in spite of the busy budget days you found the time and a window to speak to us on the Indian Jews’ history. Sanjeev Sanyal: It’s a pleasure to be here for me too. Editor: The first Jews arrived in India at Alibaug, in 175 BC. They came from Canon, the northern part of Israel. How do you look at their history and the way they came from various parts of the world to India? Sanjeev: It is a very long history. So it would take me quite some time to take you through it. But in brief, India and the Middle East have had a relationship going back to the Bronze Age, to the Harappan Civilization. We have records of Indians in the Middle East in the Iron Age, records of Indian soldiers as part of the Persian Army, during the time of Alexander. Even before that, Herodotus mentions Indians. So, Indians were familiar in the Middle East from a very early period although we do not know if these early Indians came across Jewish community. Even if we are unsure exactly when the Jewish community and Indians first began to interact, we know that by the 3rd century BC, there was a fair amount of trade going back and forth between India and the eastern Mediterranean. In fact, Emperor Ashoka’s Edicts mention that he sent ambassadors to Egypt and the Levant, which was then under the Macedonian generals. So, there were Indian mercenaries, traders, scholars, going to Alexandria, and the coast of what is now Israel and 22

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Lebanon. Similarly, Greek and Roman merchants were coming to India. This is about the time that Jews would have begun to regularly come to India. Editor: Is it documented? Sanjeev: Yes, we have a lot of evidence of Indian interactions with the eastern Mediterranean. There is a Greek manual called Periplus of the ErythraeanSea which describes the trade routes of first century AD in detail. Editor: Interesting. Sanjeev: As I said, it is mentioned in Ashoka’s Edicts of sending ambassadors to the Greeks of the Eastern Mediterranean, and of course, what is now the state of Israel, that area was under Greek domination and so, it is highly probable that Indian mercenaries, merchants, and ambassadors would have interacted with the Jewish population there. There are indications that around 175 BC, Jewish merchants turned up in the West coast of India. So, clearly, there was a relationship. The Periplus also mentions the trade route. So if a Jewish merchant, started out from the Eastern Mediterranean, he probably came from one of the port cities like Caesarea Maratima or Tyre, , and probably made it overland through Petra, in Jordan, to Aqaba. Then, through the Gulf of Aqaba, one reached the Red Sea, and then sailed all the way down the Arabian Sea, to an island called Socotra, which is now a part of Yemen. Its name is derived fromDweepaSukhadara, which is a Sanskrit name meaning the Island of Bliss. And from there you had a choice. By about the first century AD, the sailors were able to able to use

India was a peculiarly tolerant place. By the way, the Jews weren’t the only people who thought of coming to India. There were also Zoroastrians, the forefathers of today’s Parsis when they faced persecution in Iran.

David Sassoon Library, Mumbai monsoon winds to cross directly. So, from Socotra, they used the monsoon winds to directly reached Kerala, Karnataka coast. Alternatively, they went further north along the coast of Oman and then along the Makran coast to Gujarat. So, there were two routes from Socotra, and we have records from the Roman period of ships going back and forth. There would have been Roman and Greek and presumably also Jewish ships coming, and there would have been similar ships going outwards. In a way, it was a robust trade route between the two countries. And certainly by the time of the destruction of the second temple, in 72 AD, suddenly a fairly large community of Jews appeared and settled around a major port in Kerala, called Muchiri, which the Romans calledMuziris. And so, just north of Cochin, the area, which is now known as Cranganore, there is a general area where there was a big port, called Muchiri and many Jews settled settle in and around. But there were other settlements along the coast as well. Editor: Wasn’t the main reason to leave their home and seek refuge elsewhere was the religious persecution ? When they arrived in India, did they have the notion that India would give them shelter, which they were denied elsewhere? Sanjeev: Certainly persecution was an important issue. During the Roman period, there were groups of Jews who came to trade too. In fact, one of the reasons, many of these communities thought of India as a place to go to during periods of persecution was that India was the most tolerant place in the ancient world. The Zoroastrians, the forefathers of today’s Parsis, when they faced persecution in Iran, where did they to? Again, they came to India. Where did

the Nestorian Christians and the Syrian Christians decide to go when they were facing persecution? They came to India. So, India has a very long history of taking in those fleeing from persecution. The reason they always thought India of was not just the tolerance ( of Hindus ) , but due to pre-existing trade relationships, i.e. they were already familiar with Indians. So, it was a place for business in good times, but in bad times a place of refuge. These two relationships are intertwined in many ways. Editor: Are there records of this Indo-Jewish history? Sanjeev: Fortunately, there are plenty of such documents. For instance, in the old part of Cairo, today it is called Genizah, there is a large collection of the records of the Jewish merchant community. Wherever a document had the name of God written in it, those documents were deemed by the Medieval Jews as something that could not be thrown away or destroyed. So, when a merchant died, all his papers were taken to this place in Cairo, the old part of Cairo, and were stored in an old synagogue, where they accumulated over time. And in relatively recent times, they have been rediscovered. Due to the extremely dry weather conditions of Egypt, they are still well preserved. So, we have records of Jewish merchants of more than a thousand years ago, who have left us fairly detailed records of what the transactions were, who they were trading with, what they were trading and their disputes.Many of these merchants were trading from Alexandria and they had a trade network going up to Yemen. Yemen had a very sizable Jewish population, and then from NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Yemen on to India. So, that was the vibrant trading path so to speak. Thus, the Indo-Jewish interaction started in the Roman period, and continued to the Medieval period, well through the Islamic conquests and the Arab domination, and then continues, till the Colonial period. So we have an example of David Sassoon, who was a Baghdadi. Editor: A legendary figure in Bombay. Sanjeev: Exactly. In the mid-19th century, he fled the local Ottoman ruler, the Governor of Iraq, who became increasingly despotic, and he arrived in Bombay. Here again, he became fabulously rich in Mumbai, (erstwhile Bombay). It needs to be mentioned here that he has left for us majestic buildings in Mumbai. Editor: The David Sassoon Dock, Library, Sanjeev: Correct. Editor: Schools, colleges… Sanjeev: Absolutely. Not only that, his own house. Editor: Now turned into a hospital. Sanjeev: If you visit the hospital, it looks like a 19thcentury merchant’s lavish house. This relationship between India and Israel as I said, was like thisduring the good times a place to do business, and a place to seek refuge during bad times. Editor: Was it just becoming successful traders that brought persecution to their doors or was it religion, their faith and their belief in their traditions? Sanjeev: This is a long subject, which is not directly related to Indian or Indo-Jewish interaction. The Jews were very brutally persecuted throughout history. It is true that their religious beliefs certainly had a lot to do with it. As I said, Indian interactions with the Jews go back to thousands of years and throughout that history, there has been no instance of Hindus persecuting the Jews. It is not just the Jews; the Zoroastrians faced a similar welcome, as did the Syrian Christian community and many others as well. Maybe, as two civilizations that have gone through many ups and downs in their long history, it is a friendship that is interconnected and intertwined. The discovery of the Jewish links with Mizoram is very modern. Actually, Jewish communities resided even on the Eastern coast of India, which people forget. And some of them have been there for a very long time.Some of them areTelugu speakers. They were in Calcutta (now Kolkata), which was a very major hub of trade. Calcutta also had a close link with the Armenians, another persecuted community. The Ottomans persecuted them too, at about the same time. So, India has, as I said, been linked to many of these communities, but the Jews have been here both as refugees as well as business partners for a very long time. Editor: And they contributed greatly to India’s growth history. Sanjeev: Absolutely. Editor: We have not just David Sassoon; we have had the best of their Military Generals, like General Jacob. Sanjeev: Absolutely so. The story of the Jews in India 24

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David Sassoon

is not just that they came and escaped persecution, but they also contributed a lot to our history. For example, if you look at early Indian cinema, these are completely mainstream and similarly as you mentioned, in military field, General Jacob was one of the heroes of the 1971 Bangladeshi Liberation. That period came to an end, when India liberated East Pakistan and made Bangladesh, and a Jewish General was a very important part of that history. Editor: We find Indians and Hindus a number of times in the Jewish memory. But where are Jews in the Hindu memory? Because they intermingled and became one of us ? Sanjeev: They are completely accepted, so became one of us. Nonetheless, there will be clear records, but perhaps we have to look for them. You will find sculptures in Ajanta and Ellora, depicting people

Jewish communities resided even on the Eastern coast of India, which people forget. And some of them have been there for a very long time.Some of them are Telugu speakers. They were in Calcutta (now Kolkata), which was a very major hub of trade. from the Middle East, many of those could have been Jewish, we cannot say. Ancient Sanskrit texts need to be revisited. You will be amazed that the vast majority of Sanskrit texts have not been translated to this day. Till recently, no one thought of looking for Indians in ancient texts of the Eastern Mediterranean. When we began to look recently, we find Indians everywhere in Roman, Greek and even Sumerian texts – merchants, scholars, mercenaries and even astrologers. I have already mentioned the findings in Cairo of Jewish merchant records that are full of India and Indians..

Very recently some thought is being given to a relationship with Jewish merchants and the refugees who came to India in ancient and medieval times. That is pretty much the limit up to which a part of conversationand general knowledge have come. Hindus and Jews are two very ancient civilizations, which have interacted with each other, peacefully and fruitfully for a very long time. So there is certainly a lot more records. Indian texts have not been mined systematically not just about the IndoJewish relationship, but even our own history. You will be surprised at how little of our mainstream history is derived from our own cultural memory and texts. The colonial era historians tended to disregard Indian sources, but sadly this continued to this day. Editor: And the Indians were going to various parts of the globe since ancient times. Sanjeev: Yes but ironically an average Indian, till very recently, knew very little about Indian interactions with South East Asia. In South East Asia, Indian influence can be seen everywhere. Yet, the Indian textbook narrative or the official narrative of India, till very recently, barely spoke of Indian’s outward influence, linkages, and relationships. So, this is a huge failing of Indians thinking about themselves. Very recently though, a lot of interest is generated

in India’s eastern relationship going all the way to Korea, through South East Asia. We need to re-think the ancient relationship that we have had across both sides of the globe. I am sure if the texts are clearly studied, the archaeology is clearly looked and relooked at; you will find lots of new evidence. Similarly, going into our own texts, I am sure, with this long relationship you will find there are many extraordinary characters in Indian history, events in Indian history, which are closely related in some way to Jewish history. Editor: How would you like to describe IndiaIsrael, India-Jewish relations and the steps that we should take at the people’s level to extend our bonds of our culture, tradition and civilization ties? Sanjeev: This relationship is a very old one, as you pointed out. And we need to build on it. This is not a relationship between two countries based on today, but a friendship between two people and civilizations over millennia. That relationship needs to be taken forward and made stronger.

ISRAEL AT A GLANCE Israel covers roughly 8,000 square miles and is home to 8.65 million people. But it plays a disproportionately large role on the world stage — a function of its longstanding conflict with its Arab neighbors, its vast accomplishments in the high-tech sector and its religious significance for the world’s three monotheistic religions. And while its population is overwhelmingly Jewish, it is also extremely diverse, representing a wide range of religious and ethnic identities. The modern state of Israel was founded by a United Nations resolution in 1948. However, the Jewish connection to the land of Israel goes back to biblical times, continuing through the periods of the First and Second Temples. While the Jewish people scattered all over the world following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Israel continued to be a spiritual and cultural focal point. NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

My Israel Journey A moving account of a young Indian scholar who ‘fell in love’ with Israel.

P R Kumaraswamy

ou know what, it will go to the dustbin’ my articulate friend was blunt, brutal but honest. Her answer hurt me deeply but transformed my journey. It was November 1982, As usual, I bought a copy of the latest issue of Sunday weekly of the Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP) Group with Mr. M J Akbar, the present Minister of State for External Affairs, as the editor. The cover story was a long essay by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, then a Member of Parliament representing the Janata Party Dr. Swamy had just visited Israel and met senior Israeli figures including Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The Jewish State was on the receiving end of international criticisms and this time over its invasion of Lebanon. ‘

It was nearly a decade before normalization of relations between India and Israel and hence the Indian media has been ‘

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overwhelmingly pro-Arab.

anti-Israel

than

An eye opener That was my first formal introduction to the State of Israel. Until then I knew nothing about Israel, Zionism or Jews. Dr. Swamy’s article was an eyeopener for a villager who had been commuting daily by the morning Jolarpettai Express for the Master’s programme in the University of Madras. The arguments were moving and logical. Diplomatic relations between states do not signal political concurrence or even agreement. Despite differences and serious conflicts, India had no qualms about having normal relations with China and Pakistan. By the same logic, relations with Israel do not imply to agreeing with all its policies. That was a powerful message for a fertile mind. If one were to have relations only with

those with whom we agree, there would be little interactions, relations and even fun. Appeal to reform Israel policy The world of likeminded people would be boring, tiresome and uneventful. Moved by the power of Dr. Swamy’s argument, I decided to act and drafted a brief appeal addressing the Government of India. It ran something like this:

We the students of M A (Defence Studies) of the University of Madras strongly urge the Government of India to reconsider its Israel policy and normalize relations with it. Diplomatic relations do not imply India’s agreement with Israel’s policies but they are an indication of India’s willingness to interact with it as a normal state.

Mount of Olives, Old City, Jerusalem. I showed the letter to my classmates. To my surprise a few indeed agreed with the idea but they came up with the same excuse, not uncommon in those circumstances: ‘Let someone else sign first, and I will also join.’ ’The dustbin ‘Kick’ It was then I went to a good friend. Later on, she became a family friend and visited my place primarily for my grandmother’s delicious food and hospitality. ‘Hostel food has killed my tongue’, she often lamented. But on that day, I saw her non-diplomatic fury: “Dr. Swamy is an important person. He wrote a cover story in a leading magazine. If the Government of India did not bother to change its policy even after this, will they modify because of a letter from a handful of university students.’ Then came the bouncer: ‘You know what? This letter will go to the dustbin …’ As they say truth is always dangerous, and I found out that day. Her remark was hard and hurtful to digest. As I figured out later on, it was also my Herzl moment that transformed my life irreversibly. That moment, I told myself, ‘Let me do something that will not go to the dustbin of the Government of India.’ I decided to make India’s non-relations with Israel as the

subject of my dissertation. As MA students, we were to write a dissertation in our fourth semester, and until then my focus was terrorism. In those days academic focus on terrorism was limited as terrorism had not yet become a global menace. Somehow I was drawn towards it since my BA days in Vellore and started collecting materials. Once went all the way to Chennai (resources were frugal and life was hard those days) to attend a seminar on terrorism organized by the United States Information Centre as it was called then. All of them changed with that brutal ‘dustbin’ remark and life was never the same. Studying Israel became my life. Things should have ended on the ides of March 1984 when I submitted my dissertation. A few days later I received a post card from Dr. Swamy stating that that he would be in Vellore later that month and that I could meet him. Accompanied by Appa I went and met him in the official guest house near Collector’s office. Having a glanced at the dissertation, Dr. Swamy was straight and brief: “If you could do this sitting in Vellore, why not go to JNU and do your Ph. D on the topic. Until then Ph. D was not on my radar screen. Like

All of them changed with that brutal ‘dustbin’ remark and life was never the same. Studying Israel became my life.

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The Golden Dome in Jerusalem, photograph from 1600s

millions of others, I was hoping to find a job and financially ease the family burden. Indeed, I heard about JNU for the first time only a few months earlier when the front pages of newspapers carried the pictures the ‘1983 incident’ when a group of student leaders took over the office of the Vice-Chancellor. This led to the declaration of sine die and temporary closure of the university for a few months. O’ Jerusalem Both geographically and financially, New Delhi was not even a distant dream. However, providence thought otherwise. When the University was reopened in 1984, the JNU decided to expand and entrance exams were held in different centres in the country, including Madras. I was fortunate to have joined the institution in August 1984 and submitted my thesis on India’s Israel policy in 1990. However, it is a different story

that I had to wait for more than 18 months for the viva voce because one external examiner was too busy to send his report.

journey of studying that tiny country and daily challenges has been a blessing and intellectually rewarding.

The Hand of God

The hand of God is not just powerful but it shows up at unexpected times. Mine came through a cover story in the long-forgotten and now-defunct magazine. It has been a long and fruitful journey since then.

That short meeting in Vellore in March 1984 transformed my life irreversibly. Until then I never heard of Leon Uris and his Exodus and did not know about O’Jerusalem by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. Indeed, I never even met a Jewish person until 1987 when I started the process of applying for a visa for my field work in Israel. More than me, Appa was moved by Dr. Swamy’s ‘Go to JNU and study Israel’ remark, and my life was transformed. Israel Studies has become my life and more than three and half decades after that cover story, one is still trying to understand Israel and its complexities. The choice was excruciatingly difficult and financially daunting but the

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One of the most renowned authorities on India-Israel relations, Dr. P.R. Kumaraswamy is a Professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He was a Research Fellow at the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1991-1999). His works include India’s Israel Policy (Columbia University Press, 2010) and A to Z of Arab-Israeli Conflict (Scarecrow, 2009).

Things You Did Not Know Ab out

India

and

Israel

1. India is almost 100 times bigger than Israel 2. Both countries gained their independence from Great Britain 3. PM Netanyahu’s current visit to India is the first official visit of a sitting Israeli Prime Minister since 2003 4. PM Modi’s 2017 visit to Israel was the first-ever of a sitting Indian Prime Minister 5. Indian Media & IT firm L&T Technology Services is setting up a design center in Jerusalem, Israel 6. In 2016, Israel-India trade was around $2 Billion 7. Both India & Israel are characterized by multi-religious and cultural diversity 8. Every year more than 40,000 Israelis visit India 9. India is a top “Gap Year” destination for young Israelis 10. 10% of international students in Israel come from India 11. In 2017, a group of Bollywood stars/directors visited Israel to promote collaboration in the film industry, including: Imtiaz Ali, Tanuj Garg, Nikkhil Advani, Vishesh Bhatt, and Mohit Suri 12. The Successful Indian TV show P.O.W is based on the Israeli TV show “Prisoners of War” 13. There is historical evidence that Jews have lived in India for 2,000 years 14. Both main religions in Israel and India are anchored in ancient scriptures that continue to serve them to this day. The Bible for Judaism and the Vedas and Upanishads for Hindu 15. In 2009 India launched a satellite into space in association with Israel Aerospace Industries 16. Over 200,000 Indian farmers have been trained over the years as part of Israel-India agricultural collaboration 17. Mango is the National fruit in India, and in Israel, it’s considered as the world’s highest crop yield per acre 18. Leora Isaac, a rising Israeli artist, moved to India at the age of 15 to study Indian classical music at the Sur Sarvadhan Institute in Pune. She sings in Hebrew and her music includes Indian elements 19. Indian cuisine is mostly vegetarian, and there is a growing scene of veggie restaurants in Israel 20. India’s PM Modi was born on the same day India recognized the State of Israel (17.9.1950) NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history by becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. During his three day visit from July 4th-7th 2017, he not only pondered over the immediate defense, security, and strategic diplomacy, but he also created a new chapter by reinvigorating the age old civilization threads between Indians and people of Jewish faith, thus etching a beautiful poem of love and brotherhood amongst ancient friends on the millennium old chapter of Jewish memory. More than being bold, decisive and an affectionate Prime Minister of India, visiting the lovable, brave and courageous friends, he was a humble representative of the memory of two cultures collected in the last two thousand years. This memory is still fragrant in the air along the eastern Konkan coast in places like Mumbai, Alibaug, Navagaon, Kochi and on the western coast of Kolkata. People of Jewish faith in India have been an inseparable part of Mother India’s joys, sorrows, victories and turbulent periods. Their relation with all Indians and vice-versa is based on mutual trust and respect and this thread hasn’t been broken since it’s inception. -Editor 30

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Modi in Israel

A poem echoing a millennium old memory

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Modi in Israel

PM Modi enjoying a few light moments with PM Netanyahu

Modi checks out the Gal Mobile desalination jeep with friend Bibi 32

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Modi in Israel

Paying homage to the Holocaust victims at Yad Vashem NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Modi in Israel

Amidst the Indian Community 34

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Modi in Israel

PM Modi with baby Moshe, moments of warmth and affection

Being explained about the new technological advancements NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Modi in Israel

Paying tributes to the great indian soldiers at Haifa Memorial 36

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Modi in Israel NAMASTE SHALOM

Prime Minister Netanyahu bidding adieu to Prime Minister Modi PICS: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

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AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CHIEF MINISTER OF MAHARASHTRA

DEVENDRA FADNAVIS

Israel is our partner

to achieve high growth.

Israel has been a success story in the field of agriculture with the growth in agro-technology getting a big boost through remarkable cooperation between farmers, researchers and agriculture-related industries.

aharashtra’sCEO Devendra Fadnavis is one of the youngest Chief Ministers in India who has put his state on a fast track development while winning hearts across the political divide. Maharashtra is one of India’s fastest growing industrial state, an international centre of Indian cinema and the ancient place that gave shelter to the Jewish community two thousand years ago- when fourteen survi38

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

vors of a shipwreck found home and warmth at Navgaon and Alibaug. They are known as Bene Israel who contributed enormously to India’s growth story. Devendra Fadnavis shares special cordial relations with Israel and Jewish community holds him in high esteem. He has also assured them to help build India’s first ever Museum of Tolerance and Peace and a memorial to the Jews who arrived India two thousand years ago at Navagaon.

Namaste Shalom, Editor, Tarun Vijay met him at his residence Varsha. Following are excerpts from the exclusive interview. Editor: what are your first memories of Israel ? When you visited Israel in 2015 as CM, you were given a very warm and extraordinary welcome and Prime Minister received you. Devendra Fadnavis:

We have also offered to set up an India–Israel industrial park in Maharashtra, expecting the collaboration to take the bilateral ties of India and Israel to the next level. My first impressions are that Israelis are the true friends of India. When i visited Israel, I was deeply impressed with their technological advancements in various fields especially in agriculture and cyber security areas. They assured me to help Maharashtra farmers with their technology for better yields. What were your experiences in Israel and how do you envisage the cooperation from Israel to be used for the overall benefit and development of Maharashtra? Israel has been a success story in the field of agriculture with the growth in agro-technology getting a big boost through remarkable cooperation between farmers, researchers and agriculturerelated industries. Israel has drawn global attention for its remarkable progress in innovating unique technologies in the field of irrigation, greenhouses, dairy farming, seeds, poultry farming, fertilisers and plant protection that has revolutionised the agriculture sector.India and Israel have already been cooperating in a big way in the field of agriculture realising quite early the complementarities existing between the two countries in the field. Israel’s unique agriculture techniques, which give “more crop per drop’ have impressed me most. We not only want to import technologies, but also want to develop these in Maharashtra. That is what ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make in Maharashtra’ stand for. We appreciate Israel’s ‘more crop per drop’ and look forward for

Chief Minister Fadnavis with Israel’s Ambassdor Daniel Carmon

technological collaborations such initiatives.

for

How you think the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will contribute for the strengthening of bilateral relations? It’s a very significant visit and we are delighted to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu who is also visiting Mumbai. Israel will be our important partner on the path of sustained high growth and all around development. Developmental challenges being faced by both countries are same. We need science, techonological advancements as well as innovations and higher technical education which will help both of us to overcome most of the developmental challenges. Besides building a partnership for mutual economic growth, we are also cooperating to secure our societies against common threats such as terrorism. During my visit to Israel, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed for a collaboration with Maharashtra in field of agriculture, especially towards targeting agrarian crisis. He also extended cooperation in the field of manufacturing, internal security and cyber security, and support for creating Smart Cities.

independence India’s first PM to visit Israel ? Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s visit to Israel was historic not only because Modiji was the first Prime Minister in last 70 years to visit Israel but also the visit laid the foundation of strong foundations for an abiding alliance between the two countries and upheld their desire to work closely together. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even termed this relationship as like a marriage made in heaven and being implemented on the earth. part of the most recent wave of Jewish entry into India. By the mid-18th and 19th century, the Baghdadi Jews are said to

The Bene Israeli who went back to Israel still speak Marathi, they wear the local Maharashtrian dress and tie the Mangal Sutra in weddings.

How you think PM Modi ji has contributed by becoming post NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

have moved in to create a strong entrepreneurial class in the British port cities of India like Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bombay (Mumbai) and Rangoon (Yangon). By the mid-19th century, the Baghdadi Jews had risen in wealth and status and established Jewish schools, kosher markets and ritual baths. One of the most influential names in the history of Jewish presence in India is that of businessman Shaikh David Sassoon who arrived in Bombay in 1828. He was also a reputed philanthropist and went on to build several synagogues, hostels, schools, hospitals, libraries and charitable institutions.Sassoon Hospital in Pune was constructed by David Sassoonbesides building As India is a major arm Bank of India’s Head office in Mumbai, Victoria garden and Albert Museum, Masina Hospital, David Sassoon Library etc. What were your experiences in Israel and how you envisage the cooperation from Israel can be used for the overall benefit and development of Maharashtra ? in specifically what fields? Israel has been a success story in the field of agriculture with the growth in agro-technology getting a big boost through remarkable cooperation between farmers, researchers and agriculture-related industries. The cooperative efforts led to breakthrough achievements in all 40

branches of agriculture here and have fostered a market-oriented agri-business that exports its agrotechnology solutions all over the world. The country has drawn global attention for its remarkable progress in innovating unique technologies in the field of irrigation, greenhouses, dairy farming, seeds, poultry farming, fertilisers and plant protection that has revolutionised the agriculture sector.India and Israel have already been cooperating in a big way in the field of agriculture realising quite early the complementarities existing between the two countries in the field. Israel’s unique agriculture techniques, which give “more crop per drop’ have impressed me most. We not only want to import technologies, but also sector.India and Israel have already been cooperating in a big way in the field of agriculture realising quite early the complementarities existing between the two countries in the field. Israel’s unique agriculture techniques, which give “more crop per drop’ have impressed me most. We not only want to import technologies, but also want to develop these in Maharashtra. That is what ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make in Maharashtra’ stand for. We appreciate Israel’s ‘more crop per drop’ and look forward for technological collaborations for such initiatives.

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

The Maharashtra Government will surely extend all support for construction of Jewish Memorial at Navagaon. Besides this, the community demanded land for development of Museum of Tolerance and a proposal for providing land of 4 acres at village Awas is in process.

Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s visit to Israel was historic not only because Modiji was the first Prime Minister in last 70 years to visit Israel but also the visit laid the foundation of strong foundations for an abiding alliance between the two countries and upheld their desire to work closely together.

I have urged the Peres Centre for Peace, founded by Shimon Peres, to help districts in Maharashtra in tackling the agriculture crisis that leads to farmer suicides. Jethro and Demeter have decided to send a team of experts to visit the districts to prepare an action plan that would be adaptable to domestic conditions and help in addressing the issue. How you think the visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will contribute for the strengthening of bilateral relations? It’s a very significant visit and we are delighted to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu who is also visiting Mumbai. Israel will be our important partner on the path of sustained high growth and all around development. Developmental challenges being faced by both countries are same. We need science, techonological advancements as well as innovations and higher technical education which will help both of us to overcome most of the developmental challenges. Besides

building a partnership for mutual economic growth, we are also cooperating to secure our societies against common threats such as terrorism. During my visit to Israel, the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed for a collaboration with Maharashtra in field of agriculture, especially towards targeting agrarian crisis. He also extended cooperation in the field of manufacturing, internal security and cyber security, and support for creating Smart Cities. We have also offered to set up an India–Israel industrial park in Maharashtra, expecting the collaboration to take the bilateral ties of India and Israel to the next level. What are your thoughts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives on improving indiaIsrael relation? Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s visit to Israel was historic not only because Modiji was the first Prime Minister in last 70 years to visit Israel but also the visit lead strong foundations for an abiding alliance between the two countries and upheld their desire to work closely together. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even termed this relationship as like a marriage made in heaven and being implemented on the earth. You have very special cordial bond with Bene Israeli community in

Maharashtra. How do you look at their journey in the state? The Bene Israeli, that numerically form the largest Jewish group in India, belong to the region in and around Maharashtra and Konkan. According to locallegend, Bene Israeli arrived between 1600 and 1800 years back when they were shipwrecked on the Konkan coast. As per the legend, only 14 of them survived and they took refuge in a village called Nawagaon, close to Mumbai. They assimilated over the years with local communities in India but they kept their religion and customs such as the Shema, Kashrut, Shabbath and the Brith, among other things. The Bene Israeli who went back to Israel still speak Marathi, they wear the local Maharashtrian dress and tie the Mangal Sutra in weddings. Use of coconut oil and camphor inside the synagogues, haldi and henna in weddings are few other examples of a Jewish culture in India, heavily influenced by Indian culture. Not only this, Bene Israeli who have situated now in Israel cannot forget Marathi and it is praiseworthy that they have started a Marathi periodical there with the title Mayboli which mean ‘mother tongue’. They achieved everything with their hard work and never asked for any special status. How you look at the contribution for the India’s growth story by Jewish community?

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Mrs. Sara Netanyahu being received by Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on 17 th January 2018 The Jewish community, through their culture, architecture and arts, has contributed immensely in the development of India. Since their arrival in India, they have been at the frontiers in bringing development through numerous establishments, hospitals and institutions built in and around Pune, Mumbai and coastal towns in Konkan. Other structures built by the community include Sassoon General Hospital, Nivara Sanstha in Pune, Kala Ghoda and Masjid Bandar in Mumbai. Notably, their contributions to Marathi language and culture have also been remarkable, Mumbai, Pune, areas in Konkan, Ahmedabad and Karachi were popular settlements for Jews. This is indicated by the excavations that show the presence of crematoriums and places of worship at these places. The Baghdadi Jews are said to be purchaser of Israel, already there 42

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are commercial links between both the countries but after Prime Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit, the equation of buyer and vendor has been changed. Both countries are proceeding beyond a vendor-buyer relationship by promoting joint ventures in India for customised design and production, and with Israel lending its technologies and know-how to Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critical sectors like food security, water management and efficiency, space, cyberspace and data protection, e-learning and innovation, and digitalisation. Significant agreements were signed between India and Israel that could be beneficial to both the countries in the long run. The decision of establishing a Bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth 40 million dollars for research and development will help us in develop ,build and implement mutually beneficial solutions. We have heard of a proposal to build a Jewish memorial in Navagaon - Museum of Tolerance

taking shape and what are your plans to develop it as an international Jewish place of respect? In Maharashtra Jews are known as Bene Israeli. Large group of Bene Israeli is residing here for almost two millennium. It is not surprising that villages on Konkan coast like Alibaugh have colonies named after Bene Israeli. A memorial pillar has been constructed near Jewish cemetery in the memory of that 14 people who took refuge in Nawagaon near Alibaugh. It was a demand by the Jewish Community that a Memorial should be developed near this pillar. The Maharashtra Government will surely extend all support for construction of Jewish Memorial at Navagaon. Besides this, the community demanded land for development of Museum of Tolerance and a proposal for providing land of 4 acres at village Awas is in process.

What it means to be

a Jew in India Eddna Samuel This article gives me an opportunity to look at my career and social life. Many a time I’m asked that when in India the conditions are not very suitable, so many Jews are packing their bags for better living, why we are still here. To this, I and my family are having a very clear and firm stand. We feel that all these years the people of India have given us love, affection and supported in various difficult situations.

ndia is the only country where anti-Semitism has never been allowed to come up, where Jews have always prosper and have lived as an integral part of our society. There was a time in the city of Mumbai that Hebrew was officially taught in the university and even one of the mayors of Mumbai city was from a Jewish family.

in white. I remember my mother would spread white sheets, white curtains and white tablecloth as it is symbol for purity to allow us to be given a fresh and clean start. Been born in Jewish family always made me feel unique in India and in other countries.

I was born and brought up in Mumbai to a Bene Israel Family. I was raised in a Hindu and Muslim society. Both my parents were in the Govt. service, and ours were a reasonably stable family. I have the fond memories from my childhood. We all had a good time in studying and playing together without any distinction in terms of cast creed and religion. They played no role into our day to day life probably that might have deep routed the spirit of co-existence.

On the professional front I tried my hand in few jobs, but soon I realized that my temperament is so independent that I meant to be a leader and not the follower.

Indian Jews are a religious minority of India. We bene Jews adopted Hindu names like mine, Akshikar. My Parents are retired from government service. My family observed kosher dietary. When I was growing up, we would look forward to important Jewish festivals like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Simchat Torah and Passover. On Rosh Hashanah the whole community appeared at the dockyard for sea prayers and on Yom Kippur, it was customary to visit family and friends. On Yom Kippur, we dress exclusively

Rajma Chawal Effect

I started my own advertising agency. Now I am in this profession for over 18 years and handling prestigious assignments in the country and abroad. Travelling to different countries has made an impact on me in terms of culture and food. I visited Israel several times, but I had this unique opportunity to lead a group of 22 youth from the bene Jewish community these have given me over view of Jewish culture and history. I experience of seeing Israel for the first time from the eyes of TaglitBirthright Israel Experience. At the Western Wall in Jerusalem I felt one of those inspiring moments. There was something that touched me emotionally and spiritually. I would like to share my unique experience with Yaniv Wakrulkar’s

Family Grandmother and his Mother Grace, who migrated to Israel. They welcomed us into their home and showed us the greatest hospitality. It was amusing, that we were served the typical Indian Jewish food known as Chowli Chawal, which resembles to Rajma Chawal. I had interaction with Grace Yaniv’s Mother about her family, relationships with Israel and Bene Jews, how she feels living in Israel, and her hobbies and passion for homemade Indian masala (spice). It is these types of personal experiences, which give me hope and energy. No words can describe how incredible this feels such an extraordinary experience. The places you go, the people you meet so much to learn from them. We struggled to keep our Jewish culture alive in India. I saw bene Jews struggling to keep Indian culture alive in Israel. Times are changing and so the generations. I believe that children today are capable of learning from theirown experiences. I believe that honesty, kindness and sincerity is human religion, and that’s has to be practice first. My son Kevin Samuel, 24, was born in Mumbai, and today at this stage he has develop maturity. We have real conversations and that reveal his beautiful personality. Like many bene Jews he speaks Marathi with an accent Also. I haven’t seen him have a meal without dal and he prefers

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Icebreaking at Taglit-Birthright Israel Trip, Tel Aviv to be a vegetarian. There are innumerable avenues available for today’s generation. Under this circumstance as parents we can motivate our children howeverwhat is important is how they get inspired is what going to make a difference.I respectto his decisions to live wherever he choose.Our Jewish people are strong and independent to deal with any odds. There are community organization like JDC, ORT, Synagogues and Chabad,

who are doing excellent work by bringing youthtogether by various engagements and activities. I have endeavored my mission to promote goodwill between Israel and India through business and cultural tie ups for which I have very high appreciation for my embassy and the consulate which has supported whole heartedly. Fortunately with the new Prime Minister Indo Israel relationship will touch new heights in the coming

years making my dream and mission a reality!! Eddna Samuel is among those young Bene Israel Jewish leaders in India who show devotion to India as their motherland while having equally great respects for their Dharmabhoomi, Israel. She’s the director of Motif India, a successful entrepreneur who has had a decade long dynamic stint in the world of media, entertainment, fashion and events. She lives in Mumbai.

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There is a long standing

“Love Affair” between

India and Jews

Famous actress Nadira praying-duly Jewish and fully Indian. Photo by Joan Roth. Collection of Kenneth & Joyce Robbins

Kenneth X. Robbins

BAGHDADIS & THE BENE ISRAEL IN

LYWOO L O

November 2015 through March 2016 LEON LEVY GALLERY

bout fifty years ago, I saw an early 17th century Bikaner painting of Krishna and Shiva watching the courtship of the god of love Kamadeva and Rati, the personification of desire. I immediately fell in love with the history and culture of not only Bikaner, but that of all the hundreds of the Indian Princely States. In my efforts to document this with archives, exhibits, and writings, I came to study also Indian minority groups like the different Jewish communities, edit heavily illustrated volumes, and curate exhibitions utilizing my collections including a comprehensive large project on Jews in India commissioned by the Ministry

There has been a long standing “love affair” between India and Jews. Each Jewish community created a distinct culture based on positive adaption to local conditions while maintaining Jewish religious traditions. Only in India has Jewish life not been shaped by anti-Semitism or forced assimilation. According to local Jewish traditions, Jews over the centuries have come to India escaping persecution and even finding welcome when shipwrecked. In the 17th century, a European Jew held up Cochin as the great example of the benefit of such a relationship. The Paradesi synagogue is a symbol of Indian’s acceptance of diverse communities and commitment to individual meritocracy. When one tours Jewish community sights utilizing the guide book Jewish Heritage of the Deccan written by Pushkar Sohoni and myself, there is only the story of the Pakistani terrorist attack on Chabad House in Mumbai to mar a pristine history of acceptance and opportunity to live lives as Indians and as Jews. For example, members of a single Bene Israel family served as prime ministers of three princely states (Akalkot, Aundh, and Janjira). The story of the immense

contribution to Indian medicine, architecture, art, and music by refugees fleeing Hitler will be documented in a volume I am currently editing. The Bombay arts scene was transformed by the scholar, art critic, artist, political cartoonist Rudi von Leyden and the dancer Hilde Holger. The father of tropical architecture, Otto Koenigsberger, was a major force in planning housing for partition refugees and the development plans for Bhubaneswar and Jamshedpur. Much of my focus has been on the contributions over centuries of individual Indian and foreign Jews to life in South Asia.

of Culture for the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

Books & Ephemera from the Kenneth & Joyce Robbins Collection

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All these themes are being documented in a series of multiauthored books like Western Jews in India and Jews and the Indian National Art Project. These volumes raise multiple issues: Does the term “Indian artist” apply to any person born into an Indian family? What has been the role of foreign artists like Magda Nachman and Fredda Brilliant and painters from minority communities like Fyzee Rahamin and Siona Benjamin in the “Indian national art project”? Some persons of Jewish origin have taken on new identities in India. The painter Mirra Alfassa. became, in collaboration with Aurobindo, one of India’s greatest spiritual leaders. Another Jew Sarmad became a great Sufi poet involved in 17th century Mughal politics. Sarmad’s writings had a great influence on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Jewish architects working in South Asia were able to adapt their vision to the aspirations of local communities as in the cases of Moshe Safdie’s Khalsa Heritage Centre and Louis Kahn’s National Assembly Building in Dhaka. Joseph A. Stein’s Indian International Centre and Indian Heritage Centre are at the core of intellectual life in New Delhi today. Currently, I am working on an edited volume and documentary

reviewing the contributions to Indian cinema by Baghdadi Jews and the Bene Israel before and behind the camera. Sulochana was only the India’s greatest stars in silent movies and early talkies. Other Jewish actresses included Nadira, Pramila, Ramola, and Rose. The prolific Ezra Mir was responsible for many feature movies and

Mirra Alfassa The Mother of Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry like the Sassoons came in the nineteenth century to Bombay and Calcutta. Trade history can be documented using the ninth century Kollam copper plates and hundreds of slightly later India trade letters found in an Egyptian synagogue.

Lt Gen. JFR Jacob Photo Credit: Monirul Alam hundreds of documentaries. Eventually, I hope to edit a book on this long history of Jewish traders and business men. It dates back long before Baghdadi Jews

Sufi Saint Sarmad posters

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Let us not forget Herman Kallenbach and Sonja Schlesin who worked so closely with Gandhi in South Africa. Maurice Frydman tried to create a “Gandhian democracy” in Aundh state. An Italian Jew, General Venture, once commanded the Sikh armies. General JFR Jacob, a Baghdadi Jew, was one of the heroes of the war for Bangladeshi liberation.

The famous Copper plates given to Jews- circa 1000 AD. Jewish origins have made many medical contributions. The father of tropical medicine Garcia da Orta was based in Bombay.

Joseph Stein In 1375, the Catalan king’s Jewish cartographer Abraham Cresques produced a detailed map of India in peninsular form. There were Spanish-Portuguese Jewish traders in Yale’s Madras and the Rahabi family (from Aleppo) became masters of the pepper trade in South India.People with

Bombay’s Haff kine Institute is a last memorial by MordechaiHaffkine who did so much to the control of cholera and plague. Yusuf Hamied, born in Vilna and grandchild of Holocaust victims, has directly and indirectly saved millions of lives with accessible lowcost pharmaceuticals.

Moshe Safdie-Designed Khalsa Heritage Centre

once commanded armies.

the

Sikh

General JFR Jacob, a Baghdadi Jew, was one of the heroes of the war for Bangladeshi liberation. The Bene Israel community has been well-known for centuries of military tradition. Once, the Republic of India’s force included an Admiral Samson and a General Samson as well as a General Mordechai.

Kenneth X. Robbins MD is a psychiatrist, collector, archivist, and scholar. His interests include local and regional Indian rulers and Indian minority groups like Jews and African Muslims. Author at a ceremony hosted by Cochin Royal Family NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Rays of Hope in Israel In my first visit to Israel, early this year, Muslims and Jews cohabiting together in peace and with dignity did not appear to be such an impossible idea. Besides Jaffa and Jerusalem where Arabs and Israelis co-exist in harmony, the most striking ray of hope I noticed was at Golan Heights

Aarti Tikoo Singh

srael was such a monstrous idea and evil occupier in the native imagination that in Kashmir if one were to hurl an insult on a bully, people would say, “Israel hyuv chhuk (you are like Israel)”. In Jammu and Kashmir, the only Muslim majority state in India, there was no alternative way to look at Israel and Palestine.

In fact, post-Independence, this was the national outlook and official position of India. Keeping in view the sensibilities of Muslims who had chosen to stay back and not join Pakistan, India had officially opposed the partitioning of Palestine plan of 1947 and also against Israel’s admission to the United Nations in 1949. The creation of Israel on religious lines also stood in contradiction with the founding principles of India which rejected the two nation theory that led to partition 48

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

of the sub-continent and the creation of Pakistan. Growing up as refugee so it was natural for India and most Indians, across the religious divide, to empathize with Palestinians who were displaced by the creation of Israel and settlement of Jewish immigrants. The Israeli settlement expansion over the years in Palestinian territories has only evoked more sympathy for Palestinians.

Even as successive governments in New Delhi have unequivocally opposed the Isareli settlements and supported two-state solution, the cry for Palestine is so central to the political discourse among Muslims in India, and of Kashmir valley particularly, that when Islamist jihad broke out in 1989, Kalashnikov-wielding militants

with Arab keffiyeh around their necks and masking their faces became the most ubiquitous sight on our streets. It was only after the jihadis targeted and drove out around 300,000 Pandits, an ethno-religious minority out of Kashmir, the history of the persecution of Jews by the Nazi Germany felt closer home. And yet, growing up as a refugee in my own country, I could not help draw parallels with the plight of the Internally displaced Palestinians either. Ironically, in the last 27 years of displacement from Kashmir, every time there was a government proposal discussed for the return and rehabilitation of Pandits in Kashmir, separatists and their terrorists likened it to Israeli settlements in Palestinian

The cry for Palestine was so central to the political discourse among Muslims in India, and of Kashmir valley particularly, that when Islamist jihad broke out in 1989, militants wearing Arab keffiyeh and wielding Kalashnikovs became the most ubiquitous sight on our streets. territories of West Bank and East Jerusalem. Nothing can be further from the truth. Likening the rehabilitation of displaced minorities in Kashmir to Israeli settlements is like saying that internally displaced and refugee Palestinians are the culprits and they have no right to return to their homes. As a Kashmiri refugee, who happens to support Palestiniansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; right to have their own state, the point of departure, however, is Hamas and its approach to settle the dispute. Suicidal tactic of Hamas has done the biggest disservice

to the Palestinian cause by resorting to self-destructive terrorism. The group has repeatedly put its civilians in the line of fire and even defended human shield strategy. It launches thousands of rockets, usually from populated areas into Israel, causing almost no or little damage to Israeli forces or civilians. This suicidal tactic is only to ensure that it provokes Israel into selfdefence retaliation, putting the lives of its own civilians at risk. In many instances, Hamas asks its civilians to not evacuate even as Israeli Defence Forces(IDF) do. Its belief that the Palestinian cause is helped when Gazans and school children die is totally misplaced. It may evoke sympathies from Muslims and Leftist and liberal circles around the world, it keeps the conflict intact and does not bring the stakeholders to the negotiating table. Instead of investing in schools, trade, infrastructure, Hamas chose to build an extensive network of tunnels to stock rockets and weapons brought in from Iran and Syria, to pound Israel. And in the last decade, Hamas has squandered every opportunity to rebuild its people and territory. It wrecked even greenhouses set up for agricultural and horticultural produce. The glaring disparity in

Instead of investing in schools, trade, infrastructure, Hamas chose to build an extensive network of tunnels to stock rockets and weapons. the socio-economic indicators of life in Israeli and Palestinian territories is hard to miss. The hardliners like Hamas need to recognize the fact that 70 years after the dispute was born, the land today belongs to both Palestinians and Israelis. Three or four generations of both Muslims and Jews have come to treat the land its home. In my first visit (2017) to Israel, early this year, Muslims and Jews cohabiting together in peace and with dignity did not appear to be such an impossible idea. In Jaffa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv, young Jews and Arabs eat together at joints run by Muslims, both communities attend each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weddings and rejoice the shared heritage of thousands of years. In Jerusalem, the confluence

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Kashmiri Hindus It was only after the jihadis targeted and drove out Pandits, an ethno-religious minority out of Kashmir, the history of the persecution of Jews by the Nazi Germany felt closer home.

of three major religious communities, at Temple Mount on its Western Wall, Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, is an ideal that human civilization seems to have accomplished. Besides Jaffa and Jerusalem where Arabs and Israelis co-exist in harmony, the most striking ray of hope I noticed was at Golan Heights, the area that came under the Israeli control during the six-day war in 1967. Druze show the way

Around 26,000, the Arabic and Hebrew-speaking people who are an 11th-century offshoot of Ismailism, live on Golan Heights, concentrated in four villages, some of which are a few yards from the Syrian border. The Druze had 50

been historically loyal to the Syrian regime. Their political affiliation notwithstanding, the Druze, who are neither Muslim nor Christian, have not only survived but flourished in Israel. They have their own schools and religious courts and are increasingly identifying themselves as Israeli Druze. Around 140,000 Druze live in Israel with many of them as full

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

citizens and most Druze men serving in the Israeli army, many as top-ranking officers. Palestinians would do well by drawing from the example of the Druze people and the Kashmiri Pandit community too. Pandits who were ethnically cleansed by jihadists from Kashmir, chose not to take up arms and avenge their displacement and destitution. Even today, the return of Pandits seems impractical given how radical Islamism and Pakistan terror network have taken root in Kashmir. But no community can survive until its members are wellfed, educated, self-reliant and prosperous. Aarti Tikoo Singh is a senior journalist with Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest selling English news daily, The Times of India. She is based in New Delhi.

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

The Renewal of an

Ancient Bond

Vijeta Uniyal

ince the dawn of human history, Indian and Jewish civilizations have traded with each other. The sacred Jewish scriptures record how once every three years King Solomon received the fleet of merchant ships laden with gold, silver, ivory, sandalwood and exotic animals. Modern linguistic analysis points to India as the destination of these voyages. For centuries, Jewish travelers and traders were welcomed on Indian shores. In 10th Century C.E., a powerful King in South India even granted special privileges to Jewish trading community of the port city of Cochin – comparable with modern tax breaks and free-trade zone. The flourishing of bilateral IndiaIsrael ties, which began almost 25 years ago with the restoration of full diplomatic relations between the two countries under the prime ministership of Shri PV Narasimha Rao and reached its zenith during

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to the Jewish State – first ever by a siting Indian head of government, is not only a beginning of a new era of cooperation between the two nations, but also a restoration of an ancient bond between the two ancient peoples and civilizations.

than 26 percent to its national GDP. A promising example for India to follow. Startup Ecosystem

If India and Israel are civilizationally ancient, they are also demographically young. Over 40 percent of the Jewish State’s population is below the age 25, almost half of India’s population is also in that age group. Young men and women in the both countries share a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Israel, too, has offered its generous support in helping India to build up a vibrant start up and innovation infrastructure. “Israel applauds this initiative and would be happy to share its experience in developing suitable ecosystems, comprehensive mechanisms that will encourage unique and sustainable economic growth in India,” Israel’s envoy to India Ambassador Daniel Carmon, said during a public event last year.

Prime Minister Modi’s Start Up India-initiative aims to channelize these dormant energies among the Indian youth. Unsurprisingly, India looks to Israel, the proverbial ‘Start Up Nation’ for inspiration and capacity building in this area. Israel’s technology and start up sector alone contributes more

Corporate India too, has discovered Israeli technology and start up ecosystem in a big way. Indian multinationals, such as Tata Group, Reliance Industries and Tech Mahindra, have set up development centers in Israel and made substantial long-term

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Earlier this year, a high-level Indian business delegation toured Israel seeking to boost cooperation in the areas of information technology (IT) and start ups. The objective of the visit was to “collaborate with Israel start-ups on innovation, joint product development and knowledge transfer,” the Indian organizer said. Indian and Israeli Innovators A report jointly released this year by Nasscom, the umbrella trade body representing Indian IT companies, and the management consulting firm Accenture, projects a huge growth potential for bilateral cooperation in the start up sector. The report estimates that IndiaIsrael cooperation in the start up sectors could be “unleashing a revenue potential of up to USD 25

billion” by 2025. In July 2016, hundreds of young Indian and Israeli innovators took part in a unique initiative aimed at promoting startup cooperation the field of healthcare. More than 150 binational teams came together simultaneously in Tel Aviv, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Indian startup incubator T-Hub tied up with the UK-based Pears Foundation to organize this bilateral ‘Hackathon’. Despite India’s well-proven strengths in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, Indian entrepreneurs and innovators working in the field of healthcare can learn a lot from their Israeli counterparts. Israel has more than 1,000 startups in the healthcare sector alone. So far, Israeli startups have been developing healthcare solutions primarily for the high-end segment in the Western countries. Indian healthcare sector, while offering lower profits margins than the Western markets, provide a huge potential for scaling up by the virtue of country’s large and expanding consumerbase. Currently at $100 billion, healthcare is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. The sector in expected to grow up to $280 billion by 2020.Israeli universities have launched several academic and training programs to attract Indian students, researchers, and young professionals. Each year, the embassy of Israel in India selects promising Indian start up founders for the prestigious start-up event “Start Tel Aviv”, which gives them a chance to connect with leading global innovators and investors. This year, “Start Jerusalem 2017” was launched in India – a start up competition on similar lines. Israel’s Council for Higher Education grants hundreds of scholarships to Indian students interested in pursuing higher education in the country. Jerusalem-based IsraelAsia Centre (IAC) offers scholarships and leadership programs that are especially tailored for Indian students and professionals. In

Prime Minister Modi’s recent Israel visit opened new avenue for technological tie-ups while strengthening cooperation in existing ones. recent years, center has offeredan MBA program exclusively for Indian women entrepreneurs, allowing them to acquire skills and gain exposure to become future corporate leaders. Prime Minister Modi’s recent Israel visit opened new avenue for technological tie-ups while strengthening cooperation in existing ones. During his July visit, both countries established an Innovation Fund with the seed money of $40 million aimed at promoting technological research. “We are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions,” Prime Minister Modi told a group of young researchers in Israel. This statement of hope is shared by the millions of young women and men across India. Vijeta Uniyal is an Indian journalist based in Europe. He is Contributing Editor for the Commentator and Senior Distinguished Fellow at New York-based Gatestone Institute. He graduated from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi) and worked for more than 10 years in international organisations, including German Foreign Office, German Minister for Economics and Technology, Goethe Institute and Humboldt Foundation.

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

ANNU KALRA

Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Mysticism is an integral part of Chasidic Judaism having some similarities with Hinduism, and passages from kabbalistic sources are often find a space in traditional prayer books.

From my Own Garden

n Art teacher I had once approached to learn Calligraphy advised me to “share only that which is from my own garden”. He even wanted me not to paint Sufi dancers; just focus on painting Hindu deities! It was like someone was denying me access to Rumi. Can the beauty of a mystic be denied to those who do not belong to the same culture? I am writing not on Kabbalah, but my experience of exploring Kabbalah, my limited understanding of it. Just as I write about my interpretation of Hindu scriptures, or the resonance deep within me of a Sikh Guru, or my insight into Jesus Christ’s compassion! The first time I heard about Kabbalah was in the context of pop star Madonna. Later in a rather dark period of my own life, some online resources and books on the subject helped me stay afloat and even crawl out of that dark space. It was a period when I explored spirituality and religions looking for resolution of many issues that 54

were personal to me. Though I am no longer surprised, I remain impressed by the commonality of the fundamental message of all religions. What I found even more staggering were the similarities in various concepts of Kabbalah from Judaism and some facets of Hinduism. The concept of Reincarnation is central to the manner in which philosophy of life is explained by both Kabbalah and Hinduism. Whether it is to correct one’s tikun as per the Kabbalists or to alter the karmic cycle according to the Ancient Hindu wisdom, both emphasise on the concept of the soul going through multiple lifetimes, learning & evolving, learning to be closer to God and expressing their Godliness.

There are similarities even in the traditions from Kabbalah and Hinduism. As an example, the concept of wisdom being shared orally from the teacher to the student has been a very important aspect of both their histories. While neither need an intermediary to reach God, a teacher or Guru is NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

essential in both in order to show the right path. In both the cultures there are Scriptures that cannot be attributed to specific people and also commentaries on those Scriptures by Saints that have attained the stature of Scriptures themselves. The Kabbalah offers instructions on how to lead a more spiritual life as well as become more connected with God; which is also the main purpose of the Upanishads, the study of which is integral to Vedanta. Vedanta is basically the philosophical foundation of Hinduism. Just as it is not necessary to be Jewish to understand and accept Kabbalah, the concepts of Vedanta are also applicable universally. ‘Kabbalah’ means to receive, not necessarily a book, but receive an understanding of the important books and concepts. The word ‘Upanishad’, though commonly understood as the Scriptures in Hinduism, means ‘sitting down near’ and have a dialogue, one that shall lead to an unfoldment and understanding within.

When I recently brought up the subject of Kabbalah with a Jewish friend of mine, she quoted to me something very beautiful that her Rabbi back in the US had said to her: “Kabbalah is like a diamond to your ring, be very careful with it. You should only receive it when you are ready Looking closely one can find many similarities and of course many differences too. God is called ‘Ein Sof’ which means ‘without end’ in Hebrew. The Saint Tulsidas in his composition Ramcharitmanas describes Hari, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, as ‘Anant’, which means unending. However, unlike in Hinduism, in Kabbalah I did not find the concept of a personal God & Deities with almost human attributes. While Vedantins discuss life from the highest standpoint of beingness, even they study and discuss the Bhagwad Gita, the main protagonist of which is God incarnate Krishna. A.E Waite, who was a student of Kabbalah, designed the most popular tarot deck, Rider–Waite deck using the Ten Sefirot concept from Kabbalah and therefore people often connect Tarot with Kabbalah. Though most people use the deck to predict the future, the concept is not an acceptable one under the spirit of this system. As someone who has been helped immensely by the understanding of Kabbalah, I must admit that the seeking relief from Tarot is also something I have taken solace in from time to time. As an Artist painting Hindu Deities, I too was inspired to create pictorial cards to support people’s journey. I created Aavirbhaav, a system of Guidance and Meditation cards based on Vedanta. At the time I created this I was unaware of the connection between Tarot & Kabbalah. All I knew and believed is that even though the ultimate goal of all

Famous musician Madonna, is known as a longtime Kabbalah follower showing her red string to ward off bad omens

religions is to be more connected to Divinity, we need to overcome the niggling day to day issues using all tools available. So I have used Deities from Tantra, Astrology and many other systems and organized them under the Vedanta concept. Just as I have fused my understanding of life from various religions, deepening my own understanding of life, becoming more peaceful and helping others to reclaim their peace and harmony.

To be labeled, as a practitioner of any particular religion or sect, is an expectation I do not have, neither of myself nor anybody else. For a Healer the priority should be to heal, and for that he could take help from any stream be it Allopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani, Pranic healing or any other alternative stream. Similarly it has been my experience that all religions can help evolve if one were to truly understand and connect with their essence. After all isn’t the essence of all that we are all the same? As the Mahavakya (or great contemplation) from the Upanishad says – ‘Tat twam asi’, which means – ‘that is what you are’. Reminds me of a saying from the Torah that I have read – “The candle of God is the soul of man”, implying God’s light is in everyone. I always try to remember this when faced with situations and people that I begin resenting and judging!

If you have been fortunate enough to discover your connection with Divinity, I pray that you use everything you can access to deepen that connection. Yoga, Tantra, Kabbalah, Meditation, Namaaz, Chanting, Buddhism, Sufism, whatever works. Anything that helps make you a more peaceful, more harmonious, more compassionate being, making the world a better place, is good;that makes the world your own garden! Annu Kalra is a spiritually inspired author, artist & guide who lives in New Delhi. She has created a mystical & analytical system of self –help in a book called Aavirbhaav, using visuals of her paintings of Hindu Deities.

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

वाराणसी गंगा घाट, भारत

ft u fnuksa Hkkjr dh laln vkSj ehfM;k esa blzk;y ls laca/k u j[kus ds ukjs cqyan gksrs Fks] mu fnuksa Hkh blzk;y us Hkkjr dh fcuk ‘krZ lgk;rk dh- Hkkjr ls mis{kk rFkk gj varjjk”Vªh; eap ij fojks/k lgk] ij dHkh Hkkjr ds f[kykQ u ,d ‘kCn dgk] u ukjktxh trk;h- ,sls ns’k ls vk;s csatkfeu usrU;kgw iaæg lky ckn vk;s igys blzk;yh ç/ kkuea=h gSa- fiNys lky tc ujsaæ eksnh blzk;y x;s Fks] rks Lora=rk ds ckn og igys Hkkjrh; ç/kkuea=h Fks] ftUgksaus rsy voho rFkk ts#lye dh ;k=k dhHkkjr dk blzk;y ls laca/k <dk&Nqik jgk gS- eksnh ljdkj us blzk;y ls vius laca/k eqfLye ns’kksa] vjc&dwVuhfr o fQyhLrhu ç’u ls i`Fkd djus dk lkgl fn[kk;k

r#.k fot;

vkSj Hkkjr ds fgrksa ,oa lqj{kk dks çFke ojh;rk nsrs gq, bu laca/kksa dks ,d Lora= vk;ke fn;k] ijarq bldk vFkZ ;g ugha fd Hkkjr dh vjc&fQyhLrhu uhfr esa cnyko vk;k gS- gky gh esa tc vesfjdk us ts#lye dks blzk;y dh jkt/kkuh ?kksf”kr djus dk çLrko j[kk] rks Hkkjr ds mlds fo#) ernku fd;k] ftldh ;|fi Hkkjr ds blzk;y fe=ksa us vkykspuk dh] ijarq blzkby us ;g dgdj fo”k; dks Vky fn;k fd ‘Hkkjr&blzk;y laca/k fdlh ,d oksV ij fuHkZj ugha-’ D;k mu eqfLye ns’kksa ls] tks d’ehj vkSj vkrad tSls ç’uksa ij vk;sa&ck;sa ns[krs gSa& ,sls [kqys eu ls Hkkjr eS=h dh Lohdkjksfä dh vis{kk dh tk ldrh gS\ blzk;yh ç/kkuea=h dh Ng fnolh; Hkkjr ;k=k esa ukS ls T;knk egRoiw. kZ le>kSrs gq,& tks —f”k] foKku]

56 NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

LVkVZvi] u;h igy okyh çkS|ksfxdh] lkbcj lqj{kk rFkk Hkkjrh; j{kk O;oLFkk gsrq vk/kqfudre gfFk;kjksa dh vkiwfrZ ,oa rduhdh LFkkukarj.k ls lacaf/kr gS- phu&ikfdLrku lhek ij Hkkjrh; lqj{kk cyksa ds ikl vf/ kdrj jkMkj ç.kkfy;ka blzk;y ls vk;kfrr gSa vkSj :l ds ckn blzk;y gh vc Hkkjr dks gfFk;kjksa dh vkiwfrZ djusokyk lcls cM+k ns’k gSlkbcj lqj{kk vkt lsuk dk pkSFkk vax ekuh tkus yxh gS- fMftVy O;ogkj] ysu&nsu] cSad] bZ&esy] Og‚V~l,i vkfn reke baVjusV vk/ kkfjr ç.kkfy;ka vkSj ,Il tklwlh vkSj ‘k=q ns’k dks vf/kdre pksV igqapkus ds vklku ekxZ Hkh cu x;s gSafo’o esa vkt blzk;y lkbcj&lqj{kk rduhd dh csrkt jkt/kkuh ekuk tkrk gS- ogka çkFkfed ‘kkykvksa ds

जाफ़ा बंदरगाह, इजराइल Nk= fo|ky;ksa esa lkbcj lqj{kk vkSj gSfdax dk ikB i<+rs gSa- ujsaæ eksnh us usrU;kgw ds lkFk lkbcj lqj{kk ij egRoiw.kZ le>kSrs rks fd;s gh gSa] lkFk gh ty&laj{k.k] lkxj ds [kkjs ty dks is;ty esa cnyus dh rduhd] —f”k {ks= esa fMªi flapkbZ] ugjksa dk ikjLifjd rkuk&ckuk] ;s lc mu reke lg;ksxksa ds vfrfjä gSa] tks Hkkjr dks vkradokn ls yM+us ds fy, blzk;y ls feyrs gSa] ftuesa xqIrpj lwpuk,a] ekslkn dh lgk;rk] vkradokn ds Hkkjr esa lfØ; latky dks [kRe djus ds fy, Hkkjr dh xqIrpj ,oa lqj{kk ,tsafl;ksa ls mPpre Lrj ij laidZ ‘kkfey gSbu lc vkReh;rkvksa dk vk/kkj nks gtkj lky iqjkuk lH;rk&laL—fr ewyd laca/k gS- tks lekt nqfu;k ds lHkh ns’kksa esa çrkfM+r gqvk] uLyh; HksnHkko dk f’kdkj cuk] xSl pkSacjksa esa ykseg”kZd gR;k,a gsrq >ksadk x;k] ftuds ?kjksa dks /oLr fd;k x;k] ftUgsa vius gh ns’k ls fudkyk x;k] ml lekt dks dsoy Hkkjr ds

fganqvksa us nks gtkj lky igys çse] viukiu fn;k- ;g ckr dksbZ ;gwnh dHkh Hkwyrk ugha gSvkt Hkys gh Hkkjr esa dsoy ikap gtkj ;gwnh gksaxs] D;ksafd vf/kdka’k blzk;y cuus ds ckn pys x;s] ysfdu Hkkjr dh fodkl xkFkk esa mudk vçfre ;ksxnku lHkh Hkkjrh; —rKrk ls ;kn djrs gSa- ;fn 1971 esa ikfdLrkuh lsuk ls vkReleiZ.k djokusokys uk;d ysf¶VusaV tujy ts,Qvkj tSdc ;gwnh Fks] rks egkjk”Vª esa Js”B Ldwy] iqLrdky;] canjxkg] vLirky Hkh MsfoM lSlwu tSls vusd ;gwnh Hkkjrh;ksa us cuok;sHkkjrh; fQYe m|ksx dHkh ;gwnh uk;d&ukf;dkvksa ds ;ksxnku ls m_.k ugha gks ldrk- lqykspuk] ukfnjk] MsfoM ;fn çFke lokd~ fQYeksa dh ukf;dkvksa ls ysdj pfj= uk;dksa rd Hkkjrh; fQYe m|ksx ds f’k[kj ij Nk;s jgs- ysfdu] dHkh Hkh ;gwnh lekt us Hkkjr esa vius fy, vYila[;d ntkZ ;k fo’ks”kkf/kdkj

dh ekax rd ugha dhçR;sd ns’k dh dwVuhfr dk ,dek= mís’; vius ns’k ds fgrksa dh j{kk djuk gksrk gS- ysfdu] ;g ,slh uhfr viukus dk uke gS] ftlls nksuksa i{kksa dks ykHk gks- blzkby dk fo’o esa lcls cM+k gfFk;kj [kjhnusokyk ,dek= ns’k gS Hkkjr- vHkh gh blzkby dks rsjg gtkj djksM+ ds lkSnksa dk ykHk feyk gS- blzkby dh LVkVZvi] lkbcj lqj{kk vkfn Hkh mlds ns’k dks Hkkjr tSlk ,d fo’kky vkSj fojkV cktkj miyC/k djkrh gS] ysfdu blds lkFk Hkkjr dks Hkjkslsean j{kk&lg;ksx feyrk gS;kuh nksuksa ns’kksa dk ykHkHkkjr esa csatkfeu usrU;kgw dh ;k=k ds dkj.k tks u;k mRlkg iSnk gqvk gS] mldk gesa ykHk mBkuk pkfg,Hkkjr ds ;qok blzk;y dh ;k=k ij tk;sa] ;gka ds futh ,oa ljdkjh fo’ofo|ky; ,oa vU; laLFkku blzk;y ds ‘kSf{kd&rduhdh laLFkkuksa ls laca/k tksM+sa] rks ckr csgrj cusxh-

NAMASTE SHALOM | FEBRUARY 2018

Namaste Shalom monthly magazine ; RNI Title code DELBIL 11599-30/11/2017