Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, visited a synagogue in honor of the High Koly Days, and she praised the role the Jewish people have played in history. She visited a 400-year-old synagogue in the town of Mattancherry, where she was greeted enthusiastically by the small Jewish community, the Jewish women of the town wearing their colorful native costumes.
The Prime Minister told the Jewish community; “India welcomed those who came to its shores because India knew that, by their coming, the Indians themselves would be enriched. The Jews played an important role in history. They have gone through hardships in their long history. I hope that their hardships are now over and, with the development of science and technology, there will be all-around wisdom and tolerance. ” (India has a population of about 18,000 Jews but does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, although the New Delhi Government recognized Israel in 1950.)
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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.