The 1,900-year history of the Malabar Black Jews” in India will shortly end. According to a decision of the 1,800-person community, which has no quarrel with the Indian Government or people, its members will migrate to Israel.
The “Black Jews,” so called because their skin is dark, came to this country following the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. At that time, the local king of Malabar granted the Jews the same rights and privileges as other subjects and exempted them from taxation. Their leader, Joseph Rabban, was granted the following privileges: to ride an elephant; to have a state umbrella; and “to call out to clear low castes from the street upon his approach.” The language of these Jews is the same that is spoken by other residents of the state of Malabar, except that it also contains a mixture of Spanish and Hebrew words.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
