The Postwar Battle for the Souls of Indian Jews

This article explores the forgotten postwar battle between the leaders of the Orthodox and Conservative movements of American Judaism for the affiliation of the Bene Israel Jews of India, as both movements tried to grow their international profiles. An envisioned Bene Israel alliance with the American Conservative movement upset leaders of Orthodox Judaism, who formed a counterfederation. Yet, the situation in India was more complex than either denomination admitted. What in America passed for religious division between Jews was in India also a matter of race and class, even caste. Many Bene Israel defined themselves in opposition to the Orthodoxy of Baghdadi Jews, established merchants in India who largely denied the religious authenticity of the more impoverished Bene Israel, and blocked their full access to Baghdadi religious institutions. This produced the religious void that American Orthodox and Conservative leaders aimed to fill. Soon, however, most of the Bene Israel had immigrated to Israel, where the Sephardic Chief Rabbi refused to certify their collective Jewish status, adding a fascinating twist to the story.