As the Blessing on the Sun falls on the same day as the Jewish Passover, the day assumes greater significance for the community, finds WHAT's ON
As the Blessing on the Sun falls on the same day as the Jewish Passover, the day assumes greater significance for the community, finds WHAT's ON
The traditional search for leavened bread and other food called Chametz, is over. In fact, by the time you read this all the Chametz would have been burned and the first born of the family would have started his fast to commemorate the salvation of the Israelite firstborns during the Plague of the Firstborn. This is only one aspect of the most joyous of Jewish festivals Passover or Pesach that is being celebrated by Jewish families across the city today.
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Over the years, the Indian Jews have added a local flavour to the festival |
The community has been gearing up for days now. The special unleavened bread called Matzo, is prepared under strict supervision or imported from Israel. Sharon Galsurkar, a Jewish educator and community programmer with the Organisation for Rehabilitation and Training, a Jewish outreach society, explains, "Matzo is a special bread that looks like the Gujarati savoury, khakra, but has to be baked under specific commands. The bread has to be baked within 18 minutes from the time the dough is prepared." The unleavened bread is symbolic of the Exodus because when the Pharoah freed the Jews, they were in such a hurry to leave that they did not even have the time to for the bread to rise.
Special dinner
The other major part of the festival is the special dinner called Seder that marks the first night of the week-long festival. Again, the dinner is cooked with utmost care that no leavened foods are used. The Bene Israeli community goes a step further and only includes fresh spices and certain cereals in the food. The Seder is the time when the story of the Exodus from Egypt is recalled and discussed with family.
This year, the festival of Passover assumes more significance as the Blessing on the Sun falls on the same day.
The Blessing on the Sun, is the prayer that was written to celebrate the time when the Sun returns to the position it occupied when it was created at the beginning of the fourth day of creation. "This is the third time after the Exodus that the Blessing on the Sun coincides with the festival of Passover. It is a rare occasion and it is said that when the third occurrence takes place that when the redemption of the Jews will begin," says Galsurkar.
Number crunchingJewish population all over India: 5,000
Number of synagogues in Mumbai: 8
Jewish community in Mumbai consists of Baghdadi Jews, Bene Israelis and a few Cochini Jews
Yesteryear Hindi film actresses Nadira and Pramila were Indian Jews
Herman Benjamin Kolhatkar, the choreographer who gave Shammi Kapoor his signature dance moves, was a Bene Israeli
