Ruby of Cochin: An Indian Jewish Woman Remembers

II am interested in the Jews of India and I enjoy reading about their history. I happened to come across this on amazon and I was so excited to get it! It is a wonderful read.

It seems that even before the destruction of the second temple, Jews were trading and settling in southwest India. If you look on a world map, you'll see it was because India and Israel are not really that far away from each other by sea. It turns out that India was good for the Jews. Because of the region's tolerance for ethnic diversity--the Indians saw Jews as just another cast--a Jewish community flourished in Cochin for thousands of years, without prejudice or pogroms. Women had much more equality within the Cochin Jewish community than they have had elsewhere. Anthropologist Barbara Johnson first met Ruby Daniel, one of the outspoken members of that community, when she visited Cochin in the 60s and formed a deep friendship that continues today, although Ruby, now in her 80s, has immigrated to Israel with most of the community (even the synagogue was transported, thanks to wealthy American benefactors, and is now on display in the Jewish Museum). The book is told in Ruby's marvelous voice and is a fascinating tale. I gave it to my mom as a gift and she loved it.

After living in India and visiting the famous Paradesi Synagogue, I was interested in learning more about the Cochin Jews. This once thriving Jewish community has now diminished to less than ten Jews. Ruby of Cochin: An Indian Jewish Woman Remembers provides a first-hand account of life in Cochin during the first half of the twentieth century.Ruby Daniels was born in 1912 and immigrated to Israel in 1951. With the assistance of Barbara C. Johnson, an anthropologist, Ruby describes what life was like during that era. A wide array of black and white photographs enhances this memoir.Initially, I found it difficult to become engaged in Ruby’s story. The narrative was cluttered with facts and details, but at the same time included information that might be lost without her recollections. Once I started focusing on the major ideas, I began to see how important Ruby’s writing contributes to our understanding of Indian Jewry.She candidly talked about the clashes between different groups of Jews, discrimination against women, and her experiences working for the Indian government and Women’s Royal Indian Navy. The chapters that focus on traditions and customs enhance our understanding of Indian practices, superstitions, and ethnic songs. Apparently, Hindu superstitions permeated the neighboring Jewish community. The latter part of the book provides insight into why most of the Indian Jews immigrated to the Israel and Ruby shares her vivid memories of adjusting to life on a kibbutz.In retrospect, I wish that I had read this book before visiting Jew Town in Cochin. Anyone planning to visit the Paradesi Synagogue should definitely read it as well as anyone interested in Indian Jewry or Jewish women around the world.