Jael Silliman
MEMORIES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN CALCUTTA
ABOUT
Recalling Jewish Calcutta
The Baghdadi Jewish community came to Calcutta during the British Raj. When India gained its independence they were unsure of what their future would be in an Indian India. Some of the wealthy in the community were not sure about their economic futures as India talked about Socialism and nationalization of many enterprises. The War brought many European and American Jews to the City. Some came as GI’s and a few married Calcutta Jewish women who left as war brides. Many other community members responded to the increased possibilities for emigration to Australia, England and other Commonwealth countries through the forties and fifties as was the case among other Indians and minority communities too.
The Calcutta Jews have left a few traces behind. There are three impressive and large synagogues, two schools, and a cemetery in Narkeldanga. Ezra Mansions and the Ezra hospital, Nahoums Confectionary, and two buildings in the zoo that are owned and endowed by Jews still bear Jewish names. There is the Belilios Street, Ezra Street and Synagogue Street. There are many other mansions, residences and office buildings that still stand but they no longer bear their Jewish names and few know they were once Jewish owned. Today, with barely thirty Jews left in the community, most very elderly, the community lives on as a memory. Soon those who knew Jewish Calcutta will no longer be with us.
By Jael Silliman
Acknowledgments
I could never have even dreamt of embarking on developing a digital archive on the Jewish community of Calcutta without a great deal of encouragement, support and generosity from community members who are now scattered in many parts of the world. Rabbi Ezekiel Musleah discussed the project with me at the outset and gave me his blessings for this enterprise.
Join the effort
We are eager to gather as much information as possible about the Baghdadi Jews in Calcutta and incorporate it into our archive. We would greatly appreciate any details, documents, or insights you can provide on this subject.
Thank you for your assistance, and we look forward to enriching our archive with this valuable information.
