This is an introductory presentation about Kulanu, Inc., a non-profit organization that supports isolated and emerging Jewish communities around the world. For more information, visit http://www.kulanu.org and http://www.kulanuboutique.com.
6. Kulanu Sent a Rabbinic Couple to Teach and Study with the Bene Ephraim in India The Bene Ephraim community in Andhra Pradesh speak Telugu and maintain Jewish traditions
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23. Jewish Community of Suriname in Paramaribo The 2008 community Seder Torah reading in the Neve Shalom Synagogue (2008)
24. Anousim in Mexico Havurah in Mexico City Women in Veracruz Synagogue Pesach in Puebla Tefillin
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Editor's Notes
India should have 5 (Bnei Menashe, Telegu, Cochin, Bene Israel (Mumbai), Bagdadi (Mumbai)
6 because the Bagdadis are in both Calcutta (Kolkata in present parlance) and Mumbai. Andhra Pradesh community is in Guntur (exact town is village of Kottareddipalem, near Chebrolu, Guntur District.
Might want to find some better pictures
When someone says he knows a Jew from India, it's probably a Bene Israel, one of the 5 groups, and he assumes all Indian Jews are like the one he knows. Only 3 of the 5 groups are widely recognized -- Bene Israel, Baghdadi, and Cochini. If you pick up a book on Jews of India, it will inevitably only mention these 3. The 2 unrecognized groups (Bnei Menashe and Telugu) come more within our mission. We were active with the Bnei Menashe in the beginning; in fact, Kulanu was formed primarily to advance their cause. See this section of Jews in Places You Never Thought Of. Now that they have been championed by Shavei Israel, which is much richer than Kulanu, we can concentrate on the Telugu, whom most would regard as being not yet officially Jewish. We do deal with the Bene Israel. Romiel Daniel is our India Coordinator and we publicize his activities in NYC; also, the Bene Israel are interested in teaching the Telugu. An article about the Cochin synagogue appeared in Under One Canopy, and I wrote about them in the newsletter after a trip. If you use the search engine on Kulanu's website home page, you will find many references to Baghdadis and Cochinis. The Bene Ephraim community is in Andhra Pradesh near Guntur. Intouchables in India chose to convert to Judaism.
Kulanu runs newsletter articles on the plight of Ethiopians trying to get to Israel and critiques of the Israeli Government in not admitting those who qualify in a timely fashion. We also support the work of Tebeka (legal rights for Ethiopians in Israel) and BINA (Ethiopian Jews in NYC who have cultural programs).
FYI -- NACOEJ -- North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry
GENETIC STUDIES Spurdle AB, Jenkins T. The origins of the Lemba “Black Jews” of southern Africa: evidence from the p12F2 and other Y-chromosome markers. American Journal of Human Genetics 1996 Nov;59(5):1126-33 Thomas MG, Parfitt T, et. al. Y chromosomes traveling south: The Cohen Modal Haplotype. American Journal of Human Genetics 2000; 66:674-686
Lima was the Inquisition’s headquarters during Spanish rule in South America. Huanuco is a city
Need to update info about the newsletter. Need to search for it.
The fact sheet will explain these points
Need the right email contact for info. Right now it is called “info3@kulanu.org” but this changes regularly. Aron would like smaller presentations on Ghana, China and the Kaifeng connection, Ethiopia and its history, more about the Telegu-speaking Jews, etc. perhaps with video or sound.
