The Baghdadi Jewish Community in India May Only Be Around 50 Strong Today, as DOCUMENT BY The Jewish Women’s Archive, but the larger diaspora is holding on to their history. “My Community [also called Mizrahi Jews, as they are from the Middle East and North Africa] Embodies many divese identies and have made significant contributions within India, despite often being overlied in diskuses, ”Says Ciara Shalome, 25, A London-BASED CONTENTENT COREAROTOR In the uk are doing their bit to chronicle their culture, especially through food.
Ciara shalome with her father
Shalome has been documenting the live History of the Community – Most of Whom Called Bombay and Calcutta Home – Through Her Tiktok Channel Chaidentity (and more recently, on Instagram). When she first started sharing content in 2022, She Had Noticed A Recurring Theme: An Abundance of Material Related to Jewish Culture, but with a focus on ashkenazi jaws (diaspora Jews who establasted Communities Along Rhine in Western Germany and Northern France). “I could always help but see the Glaring Absence of REPRESENTION For Mizrahi JWS. Sharing their favorite dishes. So, she took up the challenge to bridge the divide.
For Shalome (who witnessed a massive jump in her following – from 0 to 83k, her commitment to the cause wasn’s wast just about personal represtation, but also about accounting diversity Within the jewish communication as a whole.
Of Integration and Community
Economic Opportunities and the Desire for a Safe Life Had Gueded Baghdadi Jews’ Decision to Leave Iraq and Parts of the Middle East and MIDDLE EAST and Migrate to India in the 18th century. Always a small group, they peaked at Around 30,000 individuals during India’s independence. Shalome’s family came over during the early 20th century and settled in the byculla area of south bombay, which has a synagogue, a shochet (Experts in Kosher Animal Slaughter), and an Educational Institution.

Shalome’s family in bombay in the 1950s
Shalome’s Grandfather, Abraham, was an active member of the communication in the 1940s and 1950s; He participated in the jewish boxing association, Maccabi, and even appeared in a few movies as an extra along “Despite the obvious ethnic differences, I am told by my parents that the Community Didn Bollywood Also celebrate their festivals and open their doors to them during jewish holidays. “

Abraham, Shalome’s Grandfather

Shalome’s Father and His Cousins Digging Into Baghdadi Jewish Food
The communication’s assimilation was also reflected in the food they prepared. While Rooted in Middle Eastern Flavors, they adopted and adapted to Local Culinary Practices. The popular aloo makala – Fried potatoes seasoned with turmeric – derives its name from alooThe hindi term for potato, and makalaAn Archaic Iraqi Arabic Word For Fried. They Tweaked Techniques to Adhere to Kosher Dietary Laws, Such as Substituting Yoghurt Marinades with Lemon Juice.

Aloo makala
Photo Credit: Courtesy The Jewish Food Society
A popular dish is chicken chitarneeA delicacy served during holidays and shabbat. “Every Baghdadi Jewish Household Knows How to Whip Up chitarnee As it embodies the essence of the Community in India, “Says shalome. The vIndaloo Paste and Madras curry powder used in many iterations introduce Indian flavors into the middle Eastern dish, which sarson’s malt vinegar adds a british touch to the mix.

Chicken chitarnee
Photo Credit: Courtesy The Jewish Food Society
“I’ve crafted a cookbook filled with a developed family recipes that i’ve presented to my father. Now, every time I’m with him, we select a recipe and cook it Media. “It’s a way to preserve these culinary treasures and ensure they are passed down through the generations.”
Memories of kebba-bamya
Sarah Moses, A Londoner in Her 60s, Grew up in Bombay but the uk when she was young. “I hold a significant affinity with India. When people ask me my ethnicity, I say i’m an Indian jew, proudly,” says moses, whose earliest child memory are cooking kebba-bamyaAn Okra Stew, with Her Iraqi Grandmother. Another prominent dish is Kebba HelwaA Sweet-Sour variant of kebba or kebabThese larges meat dumplings seasoned with dried limed in a stew of aubergines or squash. While moses may not be on social media, she keeps the recipes alive by cooking and sharing the dishes with the people in her life.

Kebba-bamya
Photo Credit: Courtesy Claude Cooks
A cookbook in the making
Londoner Joanna Missim, A Food Writer and Culinary Instructor in Her 30s, is an ashkenazi jew married to a Baghdadi jew from India. Her interest in keeping the cuisine of her husband’s communication alive live her to start putting together a cookbook in 2019, when she was on Maaternity Leave. “My mother-in-law introduced me to the cuisine and, give my interest in cooking, i’d ask her questions,” Says Missim, Who Learned to Cook Typical Dishes from Her mother-in-law’s best friends and oxes Neighborhood. “Over time, I realized that many of the people who’d emigrated from Mumbai and kolkata were gotting old. So I deceded to document the food for the Community.”

Joanna Missim Learning to make dishes from the Baghdadi Jews Repertoire

Chicken pantheras Being fried
Missim and her husband had embarked on a journey to India after her father-in-law died in 2015. Memories. ” Throughout the visit, they engaged with jews from the area. What Struck Her Profoundly was the Dwindling Numbers. “In the heart of bombay, in a place that Once Buzzed with Vibrant Communal Life, Only Around Six People Identified with identified with our heroitage,” She says.
The trip to India coupled with Missim’s mother-in-law passing away in 2017 propelled her to actively visit friends and family to source recipes from the Community. A dish that stands out to her is chicken pantheras: Chicken mince wrapped in a crepe, coated with breadcrumbs and fried to a crisp golden hue. “This snack is a favorite among the Baghdadi Jews from Kolkata.” Missim has collected over 50 recipes so far. “I Cook Each One and Photograph it. I want to give myself a year before I publish the cookbook,” She concludes.
The Mumbai-Based Journalist Writes at the Inspection of Culture and Community.
Published – December 15, 2023 12:55 pm IST
Ramesh Ghorai is the founder of www.livenewsblogger.com, a platform dedicated to delivering exclusive live news from across the globe and the local market. With a passion for covering diverse topics, he ensures readers stay updated with the latest and most reliable information. Over the past two years, Ramesh has also specialized in writing top software reviews, partnering with various software companies to provide in-depth insights and unbiased evaluations. His mission is to combine news reporting with valuable technology reviews, helping readers stay informed and make smarter choices.