PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, several Union ministers and chief ministers of several states were among those who participated in the Sarva Dharma Prarthana ceremony held at the new Parliament building
India's capital has only one synagogue and a small Jewish community of fewer than 10 families. Rabbi Ezekiel Isaac Malekar works to bring people together and preserve Jewish traditions.
Experiencing A Multicultural Hanukkah in India
Every culture has its own way of approaching the same religion. Although the pandemic caused most of us to celebrate Hanukkah unlike ever before, this year was particularly unique because it was the first time I celebrated Hanukkah in New Delhi. It was a beautiful fusion of Indian culture and traditional Hanukkah latkes with Indian spices such as turmeric and chat masala were just the tip of the iceberg.
My family isn’t very religious, rather spiritual. I, on the other hand, have lately become religious out of my own instinct especially after visiting Israel. I was born in Kenya and spent my early years in India before moving to Los Angeles. I had a multicultural upbringing, as we celebrated all the religious festivals in India, such as Diwali, Purim, Christmas and Eid. That’s one beauty of India you can practice any religion and yet be welcome. I have never seen any anti-Semitism here. After all, India is the second most popu
It is the reason there is vegetable
haleem at Hyderabad-based photographer and writer Nishat Fatima’s house for Eid. Or that Ekta’s in-laws who may eat a
tehri (vegetable rice dish) on its own understand her parents would like it with a gravy side. Or that Rev Hitter’s family always makes an eggless, alcohol-free fruit cake for family that does not eat either.
While the Jewish community in India has strict rules around kosher milk, animals with cloven hooves and scales are not allowed, and ideally anything else needs to be slaughtered by a priest Rabbi Ezekiel Isaac Malekar is mostly vegetarian especially when he goes out. “We like to take part in Diwali, for example, so it’s the easy option,” he says. As the person in-charge of the Interfaith Study Centre at the Judah Hyam Synagogue in Delhi he says, “What is common to all nine major religions is that they all believe the food they prescribe is for the good of the body, mind, and soul.”