Jews of the Raj: A Journey into India’s 2,000-Year Jewish Story

Reflections from Jewish Federation of San Diego’s Major Donor Mission to India

For more than 2,000 years, Jewish life has taken root on Indian soil, forming one of the most remarkable chapters in our global story. In a world where Jewish history is often marked by exile and persecution, India stands apart. Here, Jews have lived openly and securely, building communities that are distinctly Indian and deeply Jewish.

The Bene Israel of the Mumbai region, the Cochin Jews of Kerala, and the Baghdadi Jews who settled in port cities each developed distinct traditions shaped by local language, cuisine, and culture. Shabbat tables reflected Indian flavors. Synagogues rose near bustling trade routes. Jewish merchants and leaders contributed to the growth of commerce and infrastructure, weaving themselves into the broader fabric of Indian society while maintaining their identity.

By the 1940s, India’s Jewish population had reached between 20,000 and 50,000. Following the establishment of the State of Israel, the vast majority made aliyah, helping to build the young nation and establishing a vibrant Indian Jewish presence that today numbers roughly 80,000 to 90,000. In India, a small community of several thousand remains, primarily in Mumbai, sustaining synagogues, traditions, and memories that stretch back centuries.

Our Major Donor Mission, Jews of the Raj, was rooted in this history. Created for households investing $10,000 or more in Jewish Federation of San Diego’s annual campaign, the 12-day journey offered an opportunity to explore India’s enduring Jewish communities, engage with the country’s rich cultural and spiritual landscape, and reflect on what it means to be Jewish across continents and generations.

Over the course of the mission, participants traveled across the country, from Delhi and Jaipur in the north to Kochi and Alleppey in Kerala’s backwaters, with stops in Mumbai, Alibag along the Konkan Coast, Agra, and Varanasi.

Experiencing Jewish Life in India

The mission wove together history, diplomacy, and lived Jewish experience in ways that extended far beyond sightseeing, moving from bustling cities to centuries-old Jewish communities across the country. In Delhi, participants explored historic landmarks and engaged in high-level conversations with Israeli and American officials, gaining insight into the evolving relationship between India, Israel, and the United States.

“This is why a Federation mission is different from a regular sightseeing trip,” participant and trip chair Sonia Israel said. “We get to meet with people we otherwise would never have the opportunity to meet. We learn about relationships between Israel and the rest of the world. And we learn about how as American Jews we fit into that tapestry.”

In Kochi and Mumbai, the focus shifted to India’s Jewish past and present. Standing inside the historic Paradesi Synagogue before centuries-old Torah scrolls and visiting synagogues built by David Sassoon, participants encountered a 2,000-year legacy that continues today.

Conversations with our partner, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), brought the community’s current realities into focus, including how Federation support sustains Jewish life for a small but enduring population.

“I felt proud to see and to hear how our dollars are helping,” said Israel.

Israel also recalled one moment that captured the spirit of the journey:

“Standing in a circle with our arms around each other, we sang the Shehecheyanu prayer. It was moving. It strengthened the bond between us. It was a Jewish moment.”

Leadership, Responsibility, and Jewish Peoplehood

For Federation Board Chair Jeff Schindler, the journey prompted reflection on leadership, perspective, and the responsibility that comes with sustaining Jewish community.

“I didn’t know what to expect from this unique trip,” Schindler said. “What I didn’t anticipate was how India would work on me, how it would challenge, humble, and ultimately inspire me in ways I will be processing for some time.”

In Mumbai, the group visited Dharavi, one of the world’s most densely populated neighborhoods. What they encountered challenged many of the assumptions they had brought with them.  

“We expected deep poverty,” said Schindler. “What we found was community: fierce, proud, ingenious community.”

The visit became a powerful reminder of what people can build together, even in the most difficult circumstances. It also reinforced the importance of community itself, something he sees reflected in Federation’s work to strengthen Jewish life and connection.

That same spirit surfaced again during an evening in Mumbai when the group met Jeanne “Jinx,” a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor whose journey from Europe ultimately became part of one of the city’s most celebrated culinary stories. Her life, shaped by displacement and survival, had helped build something lasting in a place far from where it began.

Moments like this, Schindler reflected, underscore why supporting Jewish life where it exists remains so important.

“Our mission is to ensure that Jewish life persists and flourishes, not just in San Diego, but wherever Jews have put down roots and looked up at the same stars.”

A Journey That Lingers

As the mission came to a close, participants returned home with more than memories of India’s landmarks and landscapes. They came away with a deeper understanding of how Jewish life has taken shape in different parts of the world, and how those communities remain connected.

The experience also strengthened relationships within the group itself. Through shared moments of discovery, conversation, and reflection, the journey reinforced something simple but enduring: wherever Jews live, the responsibility to support and sustain Jewish life is something we carry together.