Dr Irene Judah, author of Evolution of the Bene Israels and their Synagogues in the Konkan said that its been an year since the Jews of Maharashtra are accorded with Minority status, but they has been no recognition in the society.
The Maharashtra State Cabinet in June last year has approved the decision to grant minority status to the Jews, a demand pending for many years, with 2,500 Jews population applying. The decision is based on the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission Act, 2004, which empowers the government to declare a community minority. Though Maharashtra has given the minority status to the community recently, Bengal has given them the status a decade ago.
Speaking about the plight of the Jews in Maharashtra, Dr Irene Judah said that though the provision has successfully made its way to the official records, not much has changed in the lives of the people from the quaint community. The minority status affects every section of the community at the primary level like holidays on Religious festivals. The fact that Jews don’t even get optional leaves on the days of our religious festivals is not very pleasing.
“We have to attend them by using casual leaves, which we could have preserved and used in case of an emergency. This is even more disheartening as till 60’s Jews had official religious holidays”, Dr Irene.
According to the Yosef Nowgaokar, Secretary of Succath Shelmo Synagogue in Rasta Peth, though the rules have been laid down they haven’t been enforced yet. When the declaration was made the community was jubilant but its implementation hasn’t reached the community. had been given in the media and the community was very happy but it needs to reach out to the other departments that would implement it,”. In fact he said that when filling up of any application form in India, Judaism is not an option, which hurts our status in the country.
The Jews at the gathering felt that the lack of awareness about Judaism in education is the key, Irene said that the school books have a chapter on Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism but none on Judaism. This has to be changed she urged the government to change the policies with sensitivity.
Meanwhile the Prime Minister Modi is on a Historical 3- day Visit to Israel. The Indian Jews have planned a grand welcome for him in the Israel.
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