Kashrut, Caste and Kabbalah : The Religious Life of the Jews of Cochin

Contents: Introduction. 1. Rituals and identity. I. The religious life of the Jews of Cochin: 2. The royalty of the autumn sacred cycle. 3. Spring rites: an ascetic passover. 4. A Shabbat interlude. 5. Life cycle rituals: \'every bridegroom is Joseph Rabban\'. 6. Jewish \'Apartheid\' and a Jewish Gandhi. 7. Some speculations about caste, Jewish survival and Hindu tolerance. 8. Why did they leave India?. 9. Rebirth in Israel. Bibliography. Index.

"Kashrut, Caste and Kabbalah is a study of the religious life of the ancient Jewish community at Cochin, in South India. The authors argue that the Cochin Jews acculturated into a hospitable Indian society by adapting Hindu motifs, symbols and practices into their religious life. At the same time, by remaining knowledgeable about and faithful to Jewish law, they avoided assimilation, or the loss of a distinct identity. It was the tolerant nature of Hindu culture that lay behind their acculturation, and the hierarchical structure of Hindu society that made assimilation impossible. Therefore, Jews found an ideal home in traditional India, one that afforded them status for maintaining their distinct religious and cultural identity.

This research is located at the intersection of Jewish studies and South Asian studies, and explores theoretical issues from the fields of religious studies, cultural anthropology, history, literature, and psychology. The authors use their data as a basis for advancing understanding of the dynamics of identity generation, and presents a fresh approach to the study of majority-minority group relations in India.

This book is based on a year of participant-observation field work in Cochin, as well as detailed studies of relevant historical materials and primary documents, and extensive interviews with members of the community." (jacket)