Newspaper Page Text
Compliments of
Sbunc/ee TVfitL
INCORPORATED
GRIFFIN, GEORGIA
Makers of Quality
Towels Since 1888
Showrooms: 1075 6th Ave., N.Y.C.
FIRST FEDERAL SA VINGS
and Loan Association ^
of Griffin
Insured. Savings — Improved Real Estate Loans
223 South Sixth Street P. O. Box 543
Telephones 2205 and 2206
GRIFFIN, GEORGIA
Compliments of
Spalding Knitting Mills
Manufacturers of Hosiery
New York Office, Room 4915 Empire State Building
PIIONE OXFORD 5-8658
Griffin, Georgia
Commercial Bank & Trust Company
Griffin, Georgia
Member F.D.I.C.
Jews of' Bombay
by LOUIS BING
(A Seven Arts Feature)
BOMBAY, India—The Jew
ish community of Bombay,
India, has a long and ancient
history. From ancient days,
2,000 years ago, native Indian
Jews, known as Bene Israe',
have been residents of the
State of Maharashtra in India,
originally in the city of Alibagh
at the Sea. These Jews claim to
have been direct descendants
of the 10 lost tribes of Israel,
and during the millenia, they
have become indistinguishable
from other Indian peoples in
their appearance, language, and
manner of living. Many in the
community have risen to high
office in industry, government
and the military forces. How-
. ever, many of them are among
the group of workers, with
skills and social positions not
greatly different from the gen
eral low economic level preval
ent in India. However, they
have maintained a Jewish cons
ciousness, and the organization
of a Jewish community, with
synagogues, educational Jew
ish institutions, and a pride in
their joint heritage, as Jews
and as Indians.
In more recent years, addi
tions to the ancient Jewish
community arrived from coun
tries of the Near East, prin
cipally from Bagdad (now in
Iraq), and also in substantial
numbers from Yemen and Iran.
Among this wave of immigra
tion were members of the Sas
soon families, who later be
came leaders in Indian life as
financiers, industrialists and
philanthropists. Thereafter, in
the years 1890-1910, a new
group of Jews entered India
from Near Eastern countries,
and from this group there are
now many second and third
generation families who know
India as their native home.
Following the tragedies with
in the Jewish communities in
Germany and other mid-and
Eastern European countries, a
new stream of Jewish refugees
found their way into India. For
the most part, the Nc-~r East
ern Jews found their way into
trades and industry, both as
artisans ancHas corporate man
agers. The European Jews,
however, m?ded to become en-
treurenevm in manufactuiing.
letai’ing and wholesaling of
merchandise, and also followed
professional occupations.
It is estimated that there are
about 20,000 Jews in all of
India, of whom from 13,000 to
17,000 reside in Bombay, called
the ‘Gateway to India’. Once a
marsh, and 200 years ago a
mere fishing village, Bombay
is now a bustling city of 5,000,-
000 persons, second largest in
all of India. In this newly inde
pendent and self-confident
country, Bombay is the leading
industrial and financial center.
It may be said that the Jewish
community has kept progress
Georgia
Power Company
C. W. ROBERTS
Vice-President and Division MgT.
Macon, Ga.
Harper Insurance & Realty Agency
Girdean Harper
106 South Hill Street Telephone 3241 or 3242
GRIFFIN, GEORGIA
38
The Southern Israelite