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Baghdadi Jews

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Raisescale (talk | contribs) at 06:18, 1 July 2010 (Face lift and restructuring. The article seemed to concentrate solely on Indian Baghdadi Jews.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Baghdadi Jews
Regions with significant populations
India 250 (chiefly Mumbai, Gujarat and Calcutta)
Israel, Europe, Australia, Canada, and the USA.
Languages
Traditionally, Arabic, Turkish and Persian, now mostly English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Bengali.
Religion
Judaism
Related ethnic groups
Bene Israel, Arabs, Cochin Jews

Baghdad and Iraq in general. used to have one of the largest, if not The largest Jewish community in the middle east and central Asia, Baghdadi Jews are not just jews originating from Baghdad, but from all over Iraq. ALthough records of travelling Jewish tradesmen from Baghdad can be found as early as the early 1600's. Around the mid 1800's a large portion of the community started immigrating to south and south-east asia as well as the west, creating new communities while preserving their unique traditions.

Baghdadi Jews presence in Asia

The main Asian Baghdadi jewish communities can be found in India,Yangon (Rangoon), Singapore, Penang, and Shanghai. Some smaller jewish communities such as the one in Bangkok can trace their first founders back to Baghdadi Jewish traders who worked and settled down in the region.

Baghdadi Jews in India

The Baghdadi Jews are one of the main Jewish communities of India.

The "Baghdadi" Jewish community of India immigrated to India during the British Raj. The name of the community derives from Baghdad, although they do not originate exclusively from Baghdad, but from other areas of Iraq as well, in addition to other Middle-Eastern countries that were ruled by the Ottoman Empire.

History

The community developed as a result of Jews fleeing religious persecution in Muslim lands to the northwest of India during the British imperial era. The majority came from Iraq, thus giving the community its name, though smaller groups came from other countries such as Syria and Afghanistan and assimilated into the "Baghdadi" group. Unlike other Jewish communities in India whose oral tradition attest to a presence in India going back as long as 2000 years, the Baghdadi communities were established relatively recently (in the past few centuries).

Clothing in the Baghdadi community is usually Western clothing. as they assimilate to the local community in appearance.

Cuisine

Indian Baghdadi cuisine is an Indian hybrid cuisine, with many Arab, Turkish, Persian and Indian influences. Famous Baghdadi dishes include Beef curry, Baghdadi Biryani and Baghdadi Jewish parathas. A Baghdadi version of Tandoori chicken is also popular (using lemon juice to cook the chicken instead of cream used in the usual Indian recipe).

Other Jewish Baghdadi communities have mixed their original Iraq Jewish dishes with influences from the local kitchen were they settled.

Famous Baghdadi Jews

See also

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