|
Trending Topics
|
The Indian Jewish Community Helps Foster Israel Ties
(Hindustan Times-India) Nissim Moses-Talkar - Israel has always sought friendship with India from even before the independence of both countries from the same imperial power. The Indian Jewish community has played an important part in fostering these relations. At the time of independence, many senior officers in the Indian Armed Forces were Jews. Many founders of medical faculties, leading doctors, senior teachers, lawyers and judges were from the Indian Jewish community. Bombay University was the first in the world to revive the teaching of Hebrew as a second language way before Herzl even dreamt of the creation of the State of Israel. Mahatma Gandhi was operated upon at the Sassoon Hospital in Poona and his personal physician and friend was Abraham Solomon Erulkar. Even the signature tune of All India Radio was written by Walter Kaufman, a Jew. The writer is a historian and president of the Indian Jewish Heritage Centre.