India
Overview
India is the most populous democracy in the world. It is also the largest country, geographically, in South Asia. India is considered a low-income country—35% of its population lives on less than $1/day—but has a booming economy.
There is a small, but ancient and vibrant Jewish community in India, primarily concentrated in the Mumbai area, with smaller populations in Pune, Ahmedabad, the Konkan Villages, Cochin, Kolkata, and Delhi. Unlike many places in the world, India has a rich history of religious tolerance, and Jews have freely practiced their faith here for more than 2,000 years. The vast majority of Jews remaining in India today are part of the Bene Israel community, which traces its roots in the country back to the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE.
Need
Because of India’s huge population and significant poverty, the country’s limited government-run social services are massively oversubscribed. Nor do the historically less prosperous Bene Israel have a system of community-based welfare services capable of meeting all of the needs of poor, elderly, and vulnerable Jews.
Response
To address the myriad needs of the Indian Jewish community, JDC supports:
- The Bayiti Home for the Aged, which provides a warm, homelike environment to a small number of needy residents
- Cash assistance, health care, and material assistance for elderly and indigent Jews
- Jewish cultural and educational programs for children, youth, and adults, offered by the Evelyn Peters Jewish Community Center (EPJCC) in Mumbai
- Leadership training programs for young adults, to forge a new generation of Jewish community leaders
In response to the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, including the deadly siege of the Jewish community’s Chabad House, JDC brought community leaders together to develop a coordinated plan for the future security and well-being of the community.
Impact
Since JDC began working in India in 1964, welfare programs have provided the elderly and impoverished with the very substance and sustenance of life, while JDC-supported social, religious, and cultural programs have been helping to foster cohesiveness in this proud Jewish community. Highlights include:
- A JDC-initiated leadership exchange between the Indian and Turkish Jewish communities, focusing on best practice methods for community and leadership development
- Nearly 450 members benefit from the EPJCC’s wide range of Jewish educational programs, social activities, and Jewish holiday celebrations
- 850 Jewish households throughout India receive JDC’s Kol India quarterly newspaper
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