Selected info. about Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit to Israel
Jewish community in India never faced any persecution - Netanyahu and Modi op-ed
From joint op-ed by Israeli PM Netanyahu and Indian PM Narendra Modi, "Hand in hand into the future: Indian PM’s historic visit to Israel reflects how the two countries are working together on many fronts", http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/narendra-modis-blog/hand-in-hand-into-the-future-indian-pms-historic-visit-to-israel-reflects-how-the-two-countries-are-working-together-on-many-fronts/, 4th July 2017
A small extract from it:
Over the centuries the philosophies and histories of our ancestors inspired one another. Today the entrepreneurial drive of Indians and Israelis brings us closer together. The Jewish community in India was always welcomed with warmth and respect and never faced any persecution. The Jews of Indian origin in Israel are proud of their heritage and have left an indelible imprint on both societies. Both communities serve as a human bridge between our nations.
=================================
For those who do not know the history of Moshe: Moshe was a toddler when his home in Mumbai/Bombay was attacked by terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was saved by his nanny, Sandra Samuels. Both his parents were killed in that terror attack. Moshe is now being raised by his grandparents in Israel, Rabbi Rosenberg and his wife. Here is a related article: http://www.firstpost.com/india/2611-mumbai-attack-survivor-moshe-holtzberg-excited-to-meet-narendra-modi-says-grandfather-3778281.html. The article written before Modi's meeting with young Moshe, reports Rabbi Rosenberg as saying "Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us".."India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi" .. "It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain".
BTW I have worked in Nariman Point area of Mumbai (which is where Moshe and his parents were living). Nariman Point and surrounding areas not only are the financial heart of Mumbai with offices of top companies being located there, the seat of power in Maharashtra (Mumbai comes in Maharashtra state), Mantralaya, is also close by.
From https://www.facebook.com/PMOIndia/posts/1106371779493525
PM Narendra Modi met young Moshe, his maternal & paternal grandparents and Ms Sandra Solomon, his nanny.
From https://www.facebook.com/narendramodi/photos/a.10150164299700165.421791.177526890164/10159038542855165/
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From http://www.narendramodi.in/pm-modi-presented-pm-netanyahu-replicas-of-2-sets-of-relics-from-kerala-536166
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of 2 sets of relics from Kerala that are regarded as key artifacts in the long Jewish history in India.
They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th century C.E.
The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochini Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban. According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabban was later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore. Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and other places in Malabar. Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earth from Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy place & a “second Jerusalem”. The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi.
The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India. These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church and oversight of trade in Kollam to West Asian and Indian trading associations. West Asian association included Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, as also a group of Jews who signed in Judeo-Persian and possibly also in Arabic and Pahlavi (Middle Persian). The plates bear their signatures that appear to have been cut into the plates by a local workman unfamiliar with the script. The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala.
In addition, Prime Minister also presented PM Netanyahu a Torah scroll donated by the Paradesi Jewish community in Kerala. Handwritten over a hundred years ago, the scroll had been dedicated to the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi that had been built in 1568. The Torah is enclosed on wooden staves in a wooden case adorned with silver sheets and a metal crown covered in gold sheets in floral ornament style, bearing motifs typical of lamps and decorations of south India.
=========================================================
From Joint Press Statement, http://www.narendramodi.in/india-israel-ties-date-back-thousands-of-years-pm-modi-536165, 4th July 2017
[Words below are of PM Narendra Modi:]
Friends from the Media, I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mrs. Sara Netanyahu for opening their home to me today. I am most grateful for their warm and generous hospitality.
Just a short while back, I laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Memorial museum to remember and honour over six million Jewish lives that were lost in the horror of the holocaust. Yad Vashem is a reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago. It is also a tribute to your unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation. Yad Vashem tells us that those who believe in humanity and civilized values must come together and defend it at all costs.
...
The link between our people goes back to thousands of years when the first Jews landed on India’s south-western coastline. Since then, the Jews have flourished, and their traditions and practices thrived in India. We are proud of jewish sons and daughters of India like Lt. General J.F.R. Jacob, Vice Admiral Benjamin Samson, Master architect Joshua Benjamin, and film actors Nadira, Sulochana, and Pramila whose diverse contributions have greatly enriched the fabric of Indian society. Indian Jews are a living and vibrant connect to this shared history. My visit to Israel celebrates this ancient bond between communities across both our nations. And, I am happy that I will have occasion to engage with the rich Indian diaspora in Israel later tomorrow.
=============================================================
[I thank indiatimes.com, firstpost.com, facebook.com/PMOIndia, facebook.com/narendramodi and narendramodi.in, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts (short extracts from indiatimes.com and firstpost.com) and pics from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
From joint op-ed by Israeli PM Netanyahu and Indian PM Narendra Modi, "Hand in hand into the future: Indian PM’s historic visit to Israel reflects how the two countries are working together on many fronts", http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/narendra-modis-blog/hand-in-hand-into-the-future-indian-pms-historic-visit-to-israel-reflects-how-the-two-countries-are-working-together-on-many-fronts/, 4th July 2017
A small extract from it:
Over the centuries the philosophies and histories of our ancestors inspired one another. Today the entrepreneurial drive of Indians and Israelis brings us closer together. The Jewish community in India was always welcomed with warmth and respect and never faced any persecution. The Jews of Indian origin in Israel are proud of their heritage and have left an indelible imprint on both societies. Both communities serve as a human bridge between our nations.
=================================
For those who do not know the history of Moshe: Moshe was a toddler when his home in Mumbai/Bombay was attacked by terrorists in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was saved by his nanny, Sandra Samuels. Both his parents were killed in that terror attack. Moshe is now being raised by his grandparents in Israel, Rabbi Rosenberg and his wife. Here is a related article: http://www.firstpost.com/india/2611-mumbai-attack-survivor-moshe-holtzberg-excited-to-meet-narendra-modi-says-grandfather-3778281.html. The article written before Modi's meeting with young Moshe, reports Rabbi Rosenberg as saying "Moshe is excited and emotional. We all are. We attach a lot of importance to the visit of Modi to Israel and his deciding to meet us".."India has given too much love to Moshe and all of us. God bless India and Prime Minister Modi" .. "It is nice to know that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain".
BTW I have worked in Nariman Point area of Mumbai (which is where Moshe and his parents were living). Nariman Point and surrounding areas not only are the financial heart of Mumbai with offices of top companies being located there, the seat of power in Maharashtra (Mumbai comes in Maharashtra state), Mantralaya, is also close by.
From https://www.facebook.com/PMOIndia/posts/1106371779493525
PM Narendra Modi met young Moshe, his maternal & paternal grandparents and Ms Sandra Solomon, his nanny.
From https://www.facebook.com/narendramodi/photos/a.10150164299700165.421791.177526890164/10159038542855165/
==========================================
From http://www.narendramodi.in/pm-modi-presented-pm-netanyahu-replicas-of-2-sets-of-relics-from-kerala-536166
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu replicas of 2 sets of relics from Kerala that are regarded as key artifacts in the long Jewish history in India.
They comprise two different sets of copper plates that are believed to have been inscribed in 9-10th century C.E.
The first set of copper plates is a cherished relic for the Cochini Jews in India. It is regarded as a charter describing the grant of hereditary royal privileges and prerogatives by the Hindu King, Cheraman Perumal (often identified as Bhaskara Ravi Varma) to the Jewish leader Joseph Rabban. According to traditional Jewish accounts, Joseph Rabban was later crowned as the Prince of Shingli, a place in or equated with Cranganore. Cranganore is where Jews enjoyed religious and cultural autonomy for centuries, before they moved to Cochin and other places in Malabar. Local Jews once placed in each coffin a handful of earth from Shingli/Cranganore that was remembered as a holy place & a “second Jerusalem”. The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi.
The second set of copper plates is believed to be the earliest documentation of the history of Jewish trade with India. These plates describe the grant of land and tax privileges by the local Hindu ruler to a church and oversight of trade in Kollam to West Asian and Indian trading associations. West Asian association included Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, as also a group of Jews who signed in Judeo-Persian and possibly also in Arabic and Pahlavi (Middle Persian). The plates bear their signatures that appear to have been cut into the plates by a local workman unfamiliar with the script. The replica of these plates was made possible with the cooperation of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church in Thiruvalla, Kerala.
In addition, Prime Minister also presented PM Netanyahu a Torah scroll donated by the Paradesi Jewish community in Kerala. Handwritten over a hundred years ago, the scroll had been dedicated to the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi that had been built in 1568. The Torah is enclosed on wooden staves in a wooden case adorned with silver sheets and a metal crown covered in gold sheets in floral ornament style, bearing motifs typical of lamps and decorations of south India.
=========================================================
From Joint Press Statement, http://www.narendramodi.in/india-israel-ties-date-back-thousands-of-years-pm-modi-536165, 4th July 2017
[Words below are of PM Narendra Modi:]
Friends from the Media, I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mrs. Sara Netanyahu for opening their home to me today. I am most grateful for their warm and generous hospitality.
Just a short while back, I laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Memorial museum to remember and honour over six million Jewish lives that were lost in the horror of the holocaust. Yad Vashem is a reminder of the unspeakable evil inflicted generations ago. It is also a tribute to your unbreakable spirit to rise above the depths of tragedy, overcome hatred and forge ahead to build a vibrant democratic nation. Yad Vashem tells us that those who believe in humanity and civilized values must come together and defend it at all costs.
...
The link between our people goes back to thousands of years when the first Jews landed on India’s south-western coastline. Since then, the Jews have flourished, and their traditions and practices thrived in India. We are proud of jewish sons and daughters of India like Lt. General J.F.R. Jacob, Vice Admiral Benjamin Samson, Master architect Joshua Benjamin, and film actors Nadira, Sulochana, and Pramila whose diverse contributions have greatly enriched the fabric of Indian society. Indian Jews are a living and vibrant connect to this shared history. My visit to Israel celebrates this ancient bond between communities across both our nations. And, I am happy that I will have occasion to engage with the rich Indian diaspora in Israel later tomorrow.
=============================================================
[I thank indiatimes.com, firstpost.com, facebook.com/PMOIndia, facebook.com/narendramodi and narendramodi.in, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts (short extracts from indiatimes.com and firstpost.com) and pics from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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