Thanks, Rolly, enjoyed the piece. We used to rent holiday places from Alibagh
Jews during the Goa blockade years, the fifties. There were nice homes on a
Bene Israel Street: not so many of the original inhabitants now survive. The
group that maintained the Marathi culture and language has flourished in Bombay
and their members are found in most professions.
Byculla and the environs were home to several synagogues. The Sassons built
the Magen David in 1861. It was followed by the landmark Eliyahoo on Rampart
Row in 1884, a beautiful structure that reflected the wealth and standing of
the Sassoon dynasty.
A Samaji (Samuel) Divekar built the on Samuel Street, and Bene Israel Jews
also gave us the places on Sussex Street, Clarke Road and Cross Lane in
Umerkhadi.
General Jacob is now in his nineties: he was the face of the community when
he invaded East Pakistan for Indira, and then suppressed a nascent Communist
uprising in West Bengal.
Do you remember the Baghdadi Jews who sold fabrics, door to door - the
Samuel brothers who decamped with 400 million from the Russian aluminum
monopoly were Sankli Street 'originals!'
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