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Recalling Jewish Calcutta
Thursday, July 2
Please note that the times are different from our usual schedule!
USA 9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET
UK 5:00 pm / France 6:00 pm / Israel 7:00 pm
The talk will last approximately 90 minutes
About this talk
My ancestor, Shalome Obadiah Ha Cohen, from Aleppo, Syria, the first Jewish settler to arrive in Calcutta as a trader. Recognizing the economic potential of the city, then under colonial rule, he decided to remain and later brought his family to join him. Soon, other Jews from the Middle East followed. By the early twentieth century, around 4,000 Baghdadi Jews—so called because they followed the liturgy of Baghdad—lived and prospered in Calcutta. By the 1950s, as India gained independence, the community declined rapidly for a variety of reasons. Today, only about 20 Jews remain in Kolkata (the city's current name).
In this talk, I will use slides and a few short videos to explore my community, with attention to its culture and identity. I will draw on my family story as well as existing Jewish institutions to tell this history. I will discuss the uniqueness of this diaspora community and reflect on the current situation, as well as the challenges and opportunities we face in preserving its heritage and legacy.
About Jael
Jael Silliman is a former tenured Associate Professor of Women's Studies at the University of Iowa, USA, and previously served as a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation in New York. She is the author of several books, as well as scholarly and popular articles in newspapers and magazines on gender, development, race, social justice, and women's rights. She also writes about her community, the Baghdadi Jews of Calcutta.
Her works on Kolkata's cultural history include Jewish Portraits, Indian Frames: Women's Narratives from a Diaspora of Hope, the novels The Man With Many Hats and The Teak Almirah, and numerous academic and popular essays. Her most recent co-authored publications include Where Gods Reside: Kolkata's Sacred Places and Adda! The College Street Coffee House. She now lives primarily in Kolkata.
RECORDING INFORMATION
This talk will be recorded and shared with registrants the day after.
It will be available for 3 days, and 7 days for members.
Click here to register
You will be asked to select one of these options:
General admission - $18
Supported admission - $9
Sponsor this talk - $36
With your contribution you will also be donating to the Elias Meyer Free School and Talmud Torah in Kolkata, India.
