Our group of 18 got off to a clumsy start. Ketty arrived at the HK airport only to discover that she had brought an expired passport with her. Mad phone-calls to her husband ... dashing through rush-hour traffic ... she made it to the plane on time! Anita and Iris did not fare as well. They were booked on Cathay Pacific (the rest of us flew JetAirways) and misread their departure time (yes, I've done that too - why isn't 20:00 10 p.m.?). They missed their flight and joined us the following day.
We arrived in Mumbai well after midnight. My first impression was chaos. My second impression was deafening noise. I clung to Jeff as we shoved our way through the crowds to meet our guide. I've never seen so many people waiting for arrivals - in the middle of the night! Rather intimidating. However, as soon as we found Joshua we began to relax and enjoy ourselves.
As we drove through the streets on our way to the Taj Hotel, we passed the popular waterfront promenade - jumping with energy at 2 a.m.! Doesn't this city ever sleep? With a population of more than 30 million, Mumbai is hopping 24/7.
The Taj Hotel was badly damaged during a terrorist attack in November, 2008. Twelve sites in Mumbai were targeted during the four day attack, including the Chabad House. Among the 164 dead were Rabbi Gavriel Holzberg and his wife, who was six months pregnant. Three years later, there was another series of bombings, which claimed 26 more lives. The terrorists involved in the 2011 events are still at large. "Wanted" posters are tacked onto posts throughout the city.After a short, but restful, sleep, we were all raring to go. As we stepped out of the hotel, the sound of incessant honking greeted us. Hong Kong began to seem almost pastoral by comparison! As our bus made its way through the impossible traffic, Joshua related the history of the Jewish communities of Mumbai. Joshua is a member of the Bene Israel. Tradition recounts that his ancestors escaped from the Holy Land in the year 175BCE during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. During a shipwreck off the west coast of India, all were lost except for seven couples. The survivors were offered shelter by the indigenous people, and settled into Konkan villages. Through the centuries, they adopted Hindu names similar to their biblical first names, but became known by the suffix "kar" on their surnames, which indicated the village in which they lived. For example, a surname of Penkar denotes someone from the village of Pen. The Bene Israel did not have written traditions (all holy scrolls were lost in the shipwreck), however, they did recite the Shema Yisrael, refrained from working on Shabbat, circumcised their newborn sons, and celebrated major festivals. It is interesting to note that they did not celebrate Hannukah, because the Maccabean Revolt occurred after they left the Holy Land! Today, the Bene Israel community is physically indistinguishable to outsiders from the local Indian population. In the 18th century, a Dutch trader, David Rahabi, discovered the Bene Israel. Rahabi taught the leaders - Kajis - how to conduct prayers, and introduced many European Jewish customs and prayers. In the 1800s, the Bene Israel began to migrate from the villages to Mumbai. Many achieved high positions in the British Army and British Civil Service. At their peak in the late 1940s, the Bene Israel numbered 20,000. Bene Israel began to move to Israel after 1948. They were not officially welcomed by the orthodox Rabbinate until 1964. Today, there are only 4,000 Bene Israel remaining in India.
Our first stop was the oldest synagogue in Mumbai. We alighted the bus a few blocks away, in the middle of a market. Three Cs describe the scene: colourful, crowded and crumbling. And dirty ... I made a mental note to wear closed shoes instead of sandals on my next trip to India.
Shaar Harahamim (Gate of Mercy) was built in 1796 on Samuel Street (named after the founder of the synagogue, Samuel Ezekiel Divekar). It is in the same state of disrepair as the rest of Mumbai. The streets nearby are filled with textile shops. I wondered if my father had ever imported cottons from this neighbourhood. The synagogue has a few features which we discovered are unique to India. There are three clocks which are set each day with the times of the morning, afternoon, and evening prayers. Beautiful gold menorahs are affixed to the walls. My favourite feature is the Kiseh Eliyahu (Elijah's chair), which is often accompanied by a second chair used for holding babies during circumcision.
My eyes were glued to the windows of the bus as we drove through the city to our next destination. By the time we reached the Magen David Synagogue, I had already snapped 50 photos - and it was only 10 a.m.!
The Magen David Synagogue is one of the two synagogues in Mumbai built due to the efforts and generosity of the Sassoon family. This tall, gothic structure, built in 1861, towers over the entire neighbourhood. David Sassoon, the leader of this prominent family, had been the treasurer of Baghdad before moving to Bombay. He made his money trading cotton (during the US Civil War) and opium in China. Whereas the Bene Israel identified themselves as Indian, the Baghdadi Jews (from Iraq, Iran, and Syria, but referred to as "Baghdadi") thought of themselves as British. The Baghdadis, "white Jews", considered themselves above the B.I., "brown Jews". 
On to the third synagogue, Tiphereth Israel, a somewhat newer Bene Israel structure (1923). The leader of this synagogue, Mr. Kandelkar, spoke to us and showed us the Torah scrolls and other features. My favourite was the library, situated right behind the pews. The other women in our group preferred the modern Mikveh.
While we digested our Jewish history, our bus drove on to the Dhobi Ghat, the enormous common laundry in the slums (yes, it does look like Slumdog Millionaire). We were overwhelmed! The laundry is collected, sorted (by colour), washed, hung to dry (by colour), re-sorted and delivered - all by hand. No mistakes! Note the high-rise apartments in the background - what a view from the swanky balconies! Dhobi Ghat was definitely a highlight of the trip.
Our delicious lunch at Moshe's was the antithesis of the slums. Course after course of the finest Indian fare. Rather wasteful (we felt embarrassed being served to much food). Moshe is a young (30-something), successful restaurateur. We met him at dinner later that day. I mentioned to him that there's a famous restaurant, Moishe's, in Montreal. He told me that his sister lives in Toronto, and that when he visits her each summer, he makes a side trip to Montreal - he always goes to Moishe's for dinner!
These two adorable boys were helping to decorate a wedding venue next door to the restaurant.
Next stop - Victoria Terminus Railway Station, a well-restored British colonial building (Victorian gothic) on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The station was re-christened Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus as part of Mumbai's anti-Raj campaign, but everyone still calls it VT. Shivaji was an Indian warrior king in the 17th century. Mumbai's airport is also named after him.
Jeff and I took the opportunity of some free time to wander across the road from the hotel to see the Gateway of India, on the edge of the Arabian Sea. The plaza was teeming with people. A festival was taking place - I think there's a different one each weekend! The monument was designed in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, but construction was not completed until 1924.
And off we went to Keneseth Eliyahoo for Shabbat services and dinner. We were able to take some photos before prayers began. Keneseth Eilyahoo is the second "Sassoon" synagogue in Mumbai. It was built by the grandsons of David Sassoon to honour the memory of their father, Elias. Elias moved to Hong Kong in 1844, and then to Shanghai in 1850.
Keneseth Eliyahoo is painted in aquamarine blue, a few shades lighter than the Magen David Synagogue. It is the only synagogue in Mumbai that is still used on a regular basis. It attracts not only local Jews (Baghdadi and Bene Israel), but also tourists, Chabadnicks, and backpackers. The women's gallery is upstairs. Jeff befriended Jack, a lovely gentleman visiting from London. His wife, Anne, was sitting with us ladies upstairs. As Mr. Solomon Sopher led the service, Jeff and Jack tried to follow along in their prayer books. No two prayer books were alike (hand-me-downs from synagogues around the world), and Mr. Sopher's rendition was impossible to follow. I was experiencing the same problem upstairs. The only prayer that any of us could find was L'cha Dodi. At one point, the men downstairs got up and began to dance a hora. We followed suit upstairs. Lots of fun! A Kosher dinner was served afterwards in the crumbling community hall. Weather plays havoc with the buildings in Mumbai. Many dollar bills flashed through our minds as we noticed the mould and mildew and cracks. Our group was warmly welcomed by Mr. Sopher and other community leaders after dinner. We felt like visiting royalty! 
The Sassoon Library is musty. No air-conditioning in the main reading room, so the terrace doors are kept open. Every seat was taken! I wonder how the patrons can concentrate with the constant noise outside. Annual membership costs about $75US. English books are cased together in no order whatsoever. A cataloguer's nightmare!
There are lots of small "businesses" that operate in Mumbai. Men in bright red turbans walk the streets looking for customers. They are professional ear candlers. My favourite entrepreneurs are the dabbawallas, the lunch box boys. They are part of a system that brings hot lunches from home to workers in the city. They carry dozens of identical lunch boxes, and run through the streets so quickly that it's hard to take a photo!
Our walk took us by the University. Its buildings are undergoing restoration. The clock tower is very impressive. Another well-restored edifice is the High Court. Believe it or not, the building on the right was formerly a five-star hotel!
Jeff and I left the group and wandered some more ... past a huge make-shift bookstore (lots of Harry Potter), the Flora Fountain, and various monuments commemorating important dates in Indian history. We ended up at the Prince of Wales Museum, whose miniature paintings gallery is very interesting.
We ran into some of our group at the museum. On our walk back to the hotel, Joshua our guide helped Erica bargain for some "antique" Indian coins. (Another cottage industry).
Dinner that night was at a local vegetarian restaurant. The welcome sign made me laugh! Although I do love Indian food, I find that I tire of the colour orange after a while ...Our speaker was a young Bene Israel professional social worker. She is married and has two children. She gave us a very frank account of the difficulties of living as an observant Jew in Mumbai today. Reluctantly, she and her family will be making aliyah to Israel when her children are of school age.
On Sunday morning, the sky was clear as we embarked on the ferry to Mandwa. There were hundreds of people waiting to board the various boats that lined the pier. We got preferential treatment. In fact, we crossed through another boat to board our private transport. Loved the views of the Taj Hotel and the Gateway of India as we sailed across the sea. Look how relaxed Jeff and Michael are - I think Jeff was practising for retirement!
The original Bene Israel settled in Alibag, about an hour's bus ride from Mandwa. Alibag seemed like a Jewish ghost town. Lots of Mezuzot and Magen Davids, but only one remaining Jew. Local women were washing their clothes by hand - just like the Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai.
The Magen Aboth Synagogue is bright pink! The custodian, the lone Jewish resident of Alibag, opened the door to the synagogue. After we had taken our many photos, he stood on the bema (raised platform in the centre) and sang a long Jewish wedding song in Marathi, the local language. We were fortunate to have had this special moment - in a very few years, this synagogue will be just another religious relic with no human connection.
On our way to our next stop, I snapped a photo of a bashful-looking groom on his horse as the entire wedding party paraded through the town! Needless to say, traffic was at a standstill until the hundreds of brightly dressed guests passed.
We drove through a lush, dense area to reach Rewdanda, a Konkan village. What a surprise and delight to visit a Jewish family in the middle of the jungle! The original Bene Israel were oil-pressers and carpenters, and these trades have continued to be associated with the few remaining families in the remote villages. Palm oil pressing is labour-intensive work. 
The entrance to the workshop is adorned with three hand images. Every year at Passover, fresh images are made and affixed to the door frames. This is to signify a Jewish house that should be "passed over" during the 10th plague - slaying of the first-born. My biggest treat was the broken Genizeh next to the oil press! It was filled with papers, old Mezuzot, and other "junk".
Here are photos of the furniture workshop (Magen David behind the large saw), and the delivery vans.
Our group was fascinated with what we discovered in Rewdanda, and we spent such a long time there that we didn't reach our lunch stop (at a pretty Radisson Hotel) until 2:30! Eating was far less important than experiencing the life of rural Bene Israel. Note how the name of our group had evolved from "World Hong Kong" to "World Escape"!
After lunch we visited Navgaon, the original landing site of the Bene Israel. A tall concrete monument marks the spot in the middle of an untended prickly field. Jeff and Erica climbed fences to photograph the old cemetery nearby. I must admit that before we travelled to India, I was rather sceptical about the Bene Israel, but after three days I was completely convinced that they originated from the Holy Land, and that unlike most of the Western Jews of today, they have preserved many ancient traditions. As such, they are a very important part of our history.
Sunset on the ferry back to Mumbai was gorgeous! A few of us sang folk songs as we relaxed after a hot and dusty day.
But of course our day wasn't quite over! We were whisked away to the JCC, where we were once again treated like visiting dignitaries. Many locals joined us for dinner. Elijah Jacob of the Joint Distribution Committee lectured us on the problems faced by the Jewish community of India. Jeff and I really enjoyed talking to the people at our table. Helen, the lady seated next to me, is the accountant at the JCC. She told me that hers was an arranged marriage - very common in the Bene Israel community! She was raised in a small town that only had a few Jewish families, so her parents hired a matchmaker to find her a husband. She has been happily? married for thirty years, and has one daughter.
On Monday morning, we checked out of the Taj. We drove to the Malabar Hills to visit the Banganga tank. People were performing their morning ablutions. Major photo op!! We were riveted.
Lovely colourful ladies. Morning prayers at a fertility temple. Charming kids on their way to school.
And then poverty ... This multi-generational family lives in a 10x12 foot room. All 13 of them! They are possibly better off than other families, since they have a terrace for cooking and washing. Joshua told us that they support themselves by making plastic Ganeshas. 
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum is the Ambani residence (white building in top left corner), reported to be the most expensive house in the world. A staff of 600 keeps the 27-story place ship-shape. According to Wikipedia, some Indians are proud of this ostentatious house, while others see it as shameful in a country full of starving children.
Our afternoon flight took us to Kochi (Cochin). After checking into the Vivanta Hotel, we had a private tour of the Paradesi Synagogue with Queenie, one of the last three Portuguese Jews in Kochi (the rest of the community now lives in America and Israel). Queenie showed us the original copper tablets that the Rajah of Cochin presented, endowing the Jews with the land to build the synagogue. The first synagogue was built in 1568 and reconstructed and enlarged over the years. Cochin was a safe haven for Jews escaping the Inquisition.
The interior is magnificent. Floor tiles from Foshan, China (a gift from a Qing Emperor). Chandeliers from Belgium. Torah scrolls encased in silver with genuine jewelled crowns.
Our favourite feature is the three-sided clock tower - Hebrew, Roman, and Malayalam characters.
The road that the Paradesi Synagogue was built on came to be known as Jew Street or Synagogue Lane, and the surrounding neighbourhood as Jew Town. We had a bit of time to shop in the numerous souvenir stores near the Synagogue. Joshua encouraged us to buy embroidered gifts at one of the shops owned by an old Jewish lady. Jeff and I made a major purchase of a beautiful silk rug at one of the high-end galleries.
Jeff and I were just about synagogued-out, but there were still two historic ones remaining on our itinerary for the following day. Both are located in rural Kerala. They served the Malabari Jews, whose origin in India dates back to the time of King Solomon. As in Mumbai, there was only negative feeling between the Paradesi Portuguese Jews (white Jews) and the Malabari Jews (black Jews).
The Parur Synagogue is located in a small town with a population of 40,000. One of the original columns marking the beginning of Jew Town still remains on Jew Street, about 100 metres from the Synagogue. The exterior of the building has been restored very well. The original fittings of the interior - the ark, bema, pews, and scrolls - now reside in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
We all enjoyed a pleasant walk through the local market before boarding the bus. We had noticed many Catholic churches on our bus rides in Kerala, so I took a photo of some nuns at a village store.
Although the Chenamangalam Synagogue is only a few miles from Parur, it took our bus an hour to reach it - the roads in this lush countryside are just not built for enormous tour buses! This synagogue is also a museum. There is a lot of explanation about the history of the Malabari Jewish community.
Our last activity of the day was a lazy boat trip down the river to see the Chinese fishing nets.
We were all pooped and looking forward to hot showers before dinner. However ... we were driven to a small theatre where we had to watch a Kathakali performance. Anita, Iris, Erica, April and I got the giggles. We were overtired and silly. Our apologies for our rudeness. It was one of those moments! The following morning, Anita, Iris, and I giggled again under a Kathakali painting at our hotel.
After breakfast on Wednesday, our last day, we revisited the Paradesi synagogue, and then followed Queenie to the cemetery a few short blocks away. It was very emotional to stand with her at her husband's grave. Had it not been so hot, we would have spent more time wandering around.Back to Jew Town to shop and spend some more time with Ann and Jack. The four of us also visited a museum nearby. Hard to say goodbye to our new friends, but I know our paths will cross again!
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