Indian Jewish Association (IJA)

Founded in Bombay in 1917, the Indian Jewish Association is the principal representative organization of the Bene Israel, the oldest and largest Jewish community in India. It oversees the synagogues, cemeteries, and Jewish schools of Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, and other Indian cities, and coordinates exchanges with the Bene Israel diaspora in Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The association documents the distinctive liturgical traditions of the Bene Israel, a blend of Indian influences, Sephardic rites introduced by Baghdadi emissaries, and practices developed in isolation. It organizes celebrations of Jewish holidays adapted to the Indian context and maintains ties with the Cochin Jews and Baghdadi Jews communities of India.

Sources & resources

• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan
• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World — Brill