Guarding Ancient Jewish Heritage In New Delhi

I get to see Ezekiel Isaac Malekar at least twice a year. A pleasant person wearing a kippah, Malekar is a permanent invitee at many Indian government’s national functions, including the birth and death anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi at the Gandhi Smriti, in the heart of New Delhi, where Gandhi was assassinated in 1948.

Sitting next to a Maulvi, a Muslim teacher/scholar, Malekar recites passages from Torah and translates them into English as the President, Prime Minister and other people present listen to him. Representatives from other religions also sit in a row and recite from their religious texts.

There is a small Judah Hyam Synagogue, tucked between one of New Delhi’s most popular markets and most expensive hotels, where Malekar leads the prayers every Friday to bring in Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath.

Reuters has an intersting story: “Delhi’s last 10 Jewish families guard an ancient heritage.” Malekar, who lives in a small cottage in the synagogue complex, says: “I am an Indian first and a Jew second. India is one of the places where Jews have never suffered from anti-Semitism or persecution, therefore I consider India my motherland.”

“Israel is in my heart, but India is in my blood,” says Malekar, who recounts a legend of a shipwreck in the 4th century that landed seven families on the shores of Mumbai… More here…