Stories of Bene Israel

´After all, he was Jewish and that was more important than anything else´.

The everyday traditions of the Jewish communities around the world are such a fascinating topic. Although I love history, nonfiction books featuring one community or another, it is fiction which I love the most. The strength of the creative mind, using nonfictional elements and details in order to generate stories is an unique mind adventure. 

I am relatively familiar with the world of Indian Jews in Israel, being invited to various social and personal events, such a brit mila, but Bombay Brides by the Ahmedabad-based Indian-Jewish author Esther David delves into many stories and carefully curated encounters. 

I had the book on my TBR for a long time and was able to finish it within a couple of long hours this Shabbes. Besides the stories, the graphical look of the book is also noteworthy, with fine graphic portraits aimed to give a face to some of the characters - women - portrayed.

The short stories are interconnected and are mostly based on the building of Shalom India Housing Society in Ahmedabad, a city in Gujarat, with a little bit over 100 Jews living there. The house belongs to the community and most of the stories do take place here and are populated with residents of this Housing Society.  

There is a lot of matchmaking involved, a couple of new comers that converted for love - I may have an objection of someone being given the name Jennifer after converting to Judaism, as the name has a British/Cornish resonance but no Jewish connection at all, but the rest is just fine - but also traditional Shabbes meals and holidays where, surprise, even more matchmaking takes place. There are so many references to the Propher Eliyahu Hanavi being venerated as a Hindu saint and the favorite intercessor for, among others, finding a good match and this is a very specific characteristic of the Jews originary from India as it is said that he may have appeared in the Konkan area - which includes, among others, also Goa, Israelis favorite resort in the country. There are stories about growing old and becoming adult, widowhood and illicit relationships and there are also many children who will start their own stories. The participants do move often from India to Israel and back and there is so much easiness by almost all of them to jump over many obstacles and hardships. 

I enjoyed a lot the adventures and the tragi-comical encounters and I am left with a lot of questions about traditions - would love to be part one day of an Indian Seder - and everyday life of the few Jews still living there.

Was worth including the Bombay Brides on my list of books to read and was worth waiting a bit until getting the book. Getting to know more about those communities is a blessing that books can offer when travel to discover those communities in real life is not (yet) possible.