This Rosh Hashanah, Hoping for a Sweet New Year in India
This Indian Jewish leader expresses his New Year wishes — both for his community and for Jews everywhere.
By Nissim Pingle - Director, Evelyn Peters JCC; Mumbai, India | September 15, 2023
As director of JDC’s Evelyn Peters Jewish Community Center (EPJCC) in Mumbai, Nissim Pingle sits at the center of India’s small but vibrant Jewish community. Nissim felt called to join JDC because of the Jewish values for which it stands, and today he leads programs that aid India’s most vulnerable Jews and power the country’s Jewish future. In this Rosh Hashanah reflection, Nissim talks about what makes Jewish India so unique, as well as his hopes and dreams for his community.

To me, Rosh Hashanah is a time of deep reflection, spiritual growth, and seeking forgiveness. And though my community is small — about 4,000 in a country of 1.4 billion people — Rosh Hashanah is also a time when Indian Jews like me can come together and feel our collective strength.
I was born and raised here in Mumbai, and I’m a very proud Jew and a very proud Indian. This Rosh Hashanah, as I do every year, I take time to reflect on my community — both our past, and where I hope we’re heading.
When it comes to holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Jewish India is both very similar and very different from other communities. Like other Jews around the world, we incorporate symbolic foods into our Rosh Hashanah meals, but some of our communities include foods that also hold specific significance in Indian culture. For example, the Bene Israel Jews include sweet and sour dishes in their meals to symbolize the ups and downs of life, while some Cochin Jews include coconut-based dishes due to the tropical ingredients common to that region.
We’ve been celebrating like this for thousands of years, ever since the first Jews arrived on these shores.
The Cochinis were the first to arrive in India, about 2,200 years ago, during the times of King Solomon. The next to arrive were the Bene Israelis, and they came here quite accidentally: Legend has it that they were shipwrecked off the Koncan coast, and only seven couples survived. The Baghdadis were the final ones to arrive — they came here as merchants, via the Silk Road.
All these three communities are culturally distinct. They are very, very Jewish in their identities and inside their homes, but they’re also Indian through and through: They speak the local language, eat the local food, and dress in local attire. For example, the Cochini Jews speak Malayalam as their mother tongue, the Bene Israeli Jews speak Marathi, while the Jews in Gujarat speak Gujarati — all regional languages.
What’s amazing, and what makes me proud, is that, even amidst profound historical transformation, these communities have persisted for thousands of years, facing little to no antisemitism from wider Indian society. JDC has been a crucial part of this story — a reason why we’ve endured and can look forward to a strong Jewish future.

Both my parents are Jewish. My father is a hazzan (cantor) and he prays at a local synagogue. I grew up with lots of stories that taught me tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity), and other Jewish values. That’s why, when I had the chance to work for JDC, it felt automatic that I would jump at the opportunity: JDC stands for the very same values I’ve treasured all my life.
For 11 years now, I’ve been putting these values into action each and every day as director of JDC’s Evelyn Peters Jewish Community Center (EPJCC).
In India, JDC programs focus on providing support to our community in various aspects of life, including social welfare, informal Jewish education, cultural events, and more. JDC initiatives contribute to creating a foundation of stability and well-being and cementing strong Jewish identities in the next generation.
Examples of this include Bayiti, JDC’s old-age home for Jewish elderly, which enhances the quality of life for older community members and reduces isolation and loneliness. JDC also helps empower the youngest Indian Jews by supporting programs like Jewish Youth Pioneers (JYP), which works with students and young professionals.
All of these JDC programs add sweetness to the lives of our community members — they allow us to care for our most vulnerable and build a more hopeful future.
All of JDC’s programs add sweetness to the lives of our community members — they allow us to care for our most vulnerable and build a more hopeful future.
One of the most common greetings during Rosh Hashanah is Shanah Tovah u’Metukah (“Have a good and sweet year.”). This phrase encapsulates the hopes and wishes for all of us Jews in India — a year filled with blessings, happiness, and positive outcomes.
This Rosh Hashanah, I hope community members feel empowered to take an active role in shaping the community’s direction and future. I hope for increased engagement and participation in community activities, enabling individuals to contribute their skills, ideas, and passions.
With JDC at our side, I know our dreams will come true.
Nissim Pingle is the director of JDC’s Evelyn Peters Jewish Community Center (EPJCC) in Mumbai, India.
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