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Temple Sinai members are in India with Rabbi Brad Levenberg.  Follow their experience on this blog, Rabbi Brad's Facebook here, and our Facebook Page here.

Day 11

Our Last Day in India

It’s hard to believe that the trip is coming to an end. Our group visited the Gateway to India and the Caves of Elephanta, two marvelous sites with a fascinating historical juxtaposition, before splitting up for lunch, packing, and heading to the airport.

The Gateway to India is a man-made structure similar to those seen in other European cities. Built symbolically to greet visitors (and colonials) upon entering the country, the monument now serves as an icon for Indian resilience. Why? Because when the British left India…they were made to leave through this gate.

We then headed to the Caves of Elephanta, so named because the Portuguese found a massive elephant structure on the island in the 18th century. The basalt rock carved Hindu cave temples of Elephanta are dedicated to Shiva and date back to the 5-7th century CE. The caves feature eight panels telling the story of Shiva’s power. They are impressive, calling to mind stone-carved Petra…but this is even more amazing.

As our journey comes to an end, allow me to visit once more the three questions I asked upon the start of our journey, though the first two questions have now morphed into one answer:

1. Why India? How does India survive at the intersection of tradition and modernity? India holds great mystery and an ancient history. It is a complex country whose dramatic narrative is being composed through struggle: the struggle between those with wealth and those in poverty; the struggle between those in the higher three castes and the ever-increasing Untouchable caste; the struggle between a Hindu majority and how it responds to a religiously and ethnically diverse population; the struggle between a popular right-leaning Prime Minister and a growing leftist movement that has not yet found its voice. It is the birthplace of faith and it is the country in which faith is lived with intentionality and integrity. It has a history as the lynchpin of the global economy and, by all accounts, has a future as the same. It has a history of allowing diversity to flourish; it has a history of creating hegemony through the use of the sword. India is a place to watch - India is THE place to watch. And I am glad that we could experience it at this point along the way.

2. How will India change me? India has already changed me. I speak the language of cultural introduction to India and look forward to immersing myself more fully in the narratives that we have explored. I have asked different questions about my own spiritual life and I am committed to incorporating meditation into my practice on a regular basis. I have found beauty in what I thought were the most unremarkable places. Unlike many places I have visited, India cannot be processed or understood along the way. There is much that is now simmering…and I am excited to see where I go with it.

In a few moments we will board the plane. Thank you to our chairs, Cathy and Alan Gottlieb, to ARZA World Travel, to Yishay and Shonkar, our amazing guides and friends. Thank you for coming along with us on this journey and for reading this travelogue. It has been a wild ride and I am grateful for having started on this path in the first place.

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 11

Day 10

Not So Fast

NOTE: This is one of two blog entries I am submitting tonight. For a detailed description of our experience in the slums, scroll down on my wall. This posted one minute after the supplemental post due to photo uploads on this one.

Today was the perfect antidote to the museums and memorials of Kochi. It turns out the death of India Jewry was prematurely declared.

We started our day (after a pitstop an the iconic central train station featured in 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire) at the Gates of Mercy synagogue. Gates of Mercy is the oldest synagogue in Mumbai, built in 1796 by Samuel Ezekiel Divekar, one of the Bene Israel Jews of India. According to legend, Samuel was captured during the Anglo-Mysore Wars and was about to be condemned to death. In his lamentation, he prayed to God that, if we he was to make it through, he would build a synagogue. As Samuel was being walked to his termination point, Tipu Sultan asked him to what caste he belonged. Samuel proclaimed that it was Bene Israel, but the Sultan had never heard of them. His mother, however, had; she recalled the name Israel from the Koran, thus saving Samuel from certain death. Upon his return to Mumbai, he fulfilled his promise, believing that God had mercy upon him. Hence, the name of the synagogue.

We were invited to kindle the lamps of the congregation, a tradition with a rich history. The Jews had been so involved with coconut oil, making quite a living (though not selling on Shabbat!) that not only did they use the oil to light all of their lamps but to this day some of the Hindu communities proclaim that “there is a tradition to not buy oil on Saturday.”

From there we went to the beautiful Magen David synagogue, a synagogue that is thriving with two minyanim services each day. We were wowed by the architecture but what was truly inspiring was getting a sense that the final chapter of Jewish life in India has not yet been composed.

We made a quick stop at the Dhobi Ghet laundry, the largest laundry in the world, and got a better understanding of the workers and what their days looked like. Take a look at the pictures – it is something pretty amazing!

Following the laundry, we had a lunch and presentation at the JDC/JCC building. There we were able to learn about their sectarian work, their non-sectarian work, and meet with their incredible staff. The walls were lined with photos from events over the past year…and we celebrated their success at engaging a large community of Jews and creating positive Jewish memories.

Following lunch, many in our group visited a slum (more on that in the next post) before returning to the hotel. We had dinner and then…a few of us took in a Bollywood movie! In Mumbai, the Capital of Bollywood! (No, it was not a singing-and-dancing film; this was serious!)

Tomorrow is our last day in India. It’s really very hard to believe.

More in a moment on the subsequent blog.

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 10

Supplemental Blog: On Poverty in India, Part II

NOTE: This post accompanies the other post issued on 4.24. The other post is a travelogue; this is a detailed account of our time in the slum. In accordance with custom, no photos will be published of this experience.

Mumbai is a true metropolis. With a population over 22 million people, it is the richest city in India and, as a result of Bollywood films, holds the largest film industry in the world. As the financial and commercial capital of India, it attracts migrants from all over the country looking to make their fortune. Unfortunately for many, the reality is that most of these individuals end up in one of the city’s 1000 slums. In fact, 40% of the entire city’s population lives in slums, an integral piece of the fabric of Mumbai. These are the workers who bus dishes, who maintain hotels and offices; and, yes, these are the individuals who work in sweatshops making many of the goods that we happily enjoy.

Many in our group today immersed ourselves in that poverty by visiting the Dharavi slum. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia with over a million people crammed into 520 acres, making it the most densely populated place in the world. The slum was featured in the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire, leading to an entire industry of slum tourism (or “pourism”) to find a place among the many other industries present.

And there are many industries present. In fact, the slum is a fully functioning community where residents have access to electricity, public toilets, running water, fire stations, schools and even a movie theater. Dharavi houses 5000 businesses that export worldwide to an income of 1 Billion dollars a year. As we navigated the maze of alleyways we saw people dyeing linens, making cardboard, disassembling auto parts, making shirts and pants, luggage (sent, on contract, to a US distributor to stamp a global logo on the bags), to name just a few of the industries we witnessed. There is a leather tanning industry and the visit concluded in the leather shop where one can purchase items made right there in the slum, stamped with Dharavi’s own unique logo.

As Dharavi handles recycling from all over Mumbai and I was able to see a shanty shop with four men, crouched in un-air conditioned darkness, sifting through bags of trash, identifying recyclables and cleaning the waste. There were flies everywhere.

Despite the filthy conditions – and they are filthy, with sewage on the streets, garbage throughout, bugs and stray dogs wandering the streets with abandon – there is an optimism about the place. Our tour guide relayed his comfort with the community spirit of the space, a pride in the ingenuity that has led to great industry (including the tours of the slums since Slumdog Millionaire came out!) and a bustling economy. Much of the slum is populated by workers who have migrated to Mumbai, many of whom send their wages home to family members even more impoverished outside of the city. There are more people arriving every day.

I have to admit that I hoped to better understand poverty in India by experiencing the slum. I did see abject poverty, I did see crying children, I did see filth, I did smell the horrific odors that one would expect. Yet I also saw people with nice haircuts, freshly showered, dressed in clothing that is clean and ironed. What I saw was incredibly complex, an attack on the senses, the expectations, the heart and the head.

Ultimately, the group was quite surprised and taken by the industry that exists in the slum and the sense of community that our guides brought to our attention. The majority of the group verbalized that it is like a city, a Shtetle, and calling it a slum no longer felt appropriate, especially since the word “slum” calls to mind hopelessness, deprivation, and horror.

I was left with two lingering questions following our visit:

1. We westerners, purchase with abandon, knowing full well that many of the goods we purchase simultaneously enable the sweatshops that exist here and in China and, yes, in America, and provide industry and a potentially surviving wage for those in abject poverty. When we purchase…do we purchase with purpose?

2. The majority of our group seemed open to encountering poverty half way around the world. Why are we so interested in avoiding it back home?

It is a scene and a moment (and a people) that has lasting impact. It was not lost on our group that our trip to India was bookended by poverty – on our first day together we visited the Salaam Baalak Trust in Delhi, the school that is responding to street kids in that city, and today we visited the slum. I don’t think we are any more clear about the causes of poverty here – there are obviously many. But what is clear that knowing India today means knowing something about the religious life…and the secular gods of Cricket and Bollywood. It means knowing something about the history of Moghul and Mujahadeen rule…and the current climate of political activism. It means knowing about the non-violence of Gandhi and the terrible violence of rape and brutality and murder. It means the wealth of the skyscrapers as well as the wealth of the slums.

Though we are set to leave tomorrow…it feels like we are just getting started.

Day 9

We ARE the Jews of Kerala

Standing in the Paravur Synagogue, our group found a small space and, when ready, chanted words of Shema. We were the only group in the space; sadly, it would be a mistake to call it a synagogue. This is a former synagogue that is now a museum, a museum devoted to an extinct people in these parts. The space is meticulously preserved and the beauty is undeniable. The Ark is ornate and almost overbearing. But it is empty inside, much like the synagogue itself, silenced from the celebrations and lamentations and melodies and rhythms of the Jewish experience. There are posters that appear tastefully on the walls, introducing a non-Jewish audience to the customs and religion of the Jewish people. One such sign, explaining the role of prayer, reads: “Prayers constitute the nucleus of Jewish life. All official prayers are offered via the Hebrew language.” Another sign, explaining Shabbat, read: “The Jewish people used to gather the whole family – women inclusive – for domestic occasions.” Written in the past tense. It was here. It used to be that….

That’s why we stopped taking pictures and recited Shema.

Once the Jews left Kerala, the region that includes Parur and Kochi, the government offered to assume control of the buildings, turning the buildings into museums. We now get a sense of what the future holds for the synagogue in which we celebrated Shabbat: once the final five Jews who live in Kochi pass away, we will find a similar story happening to those sacred spaces.

The story of the Jews of Kochi mirrors the story of the Jews of the South in our country. In Kochi, the Jews settled in a myriad of different locations; in the South, the Jewish communities sprang up all through the Mississippi Delta. The Jews of Kochi were impacted by the rise of big cities like Mumbai and Delhi; the Jews of the South found their growth challenged when economic centers began shifting away from the towns and cities and gravitated around Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Nashville. The Jews of Kochi wanted better for their children, more opportunities for marriage, so they sent them either to major cities in India or, more likely, to Israel; the Jews of the South wanted the same for their children and so they went off to college in larger cities, eventually settling in places like Atlanta (if they wanted to stay in the South). The years have decimated the few people left to maintain the synagogues in Kochi; the years have decimated the few people left in many Delta towns who can no longer find a quorum for prayer. The government acquires the synagogues of Kochi when there is nobody left to maintain them; the Institute for Southern Jewish Life (isjl.org), among many incredible functions of the organization, finds new home for ritual objects, synagogue décor, and the stories that populate those spaces when there is nobody left to maintain southern synagogues.

Temple Sinai has become a beneficiary of sorts from this demographic and migratory shift. Many of the Jews who belong to Temple Sinai have roots or preserve connections to the smaller Jewish communities that populate the South. And for the contributions these “new Atlanta Jews” have made to our congregation we are incredibly appreciative and blessed.

And yet.

And yet we understand that the story of the Jewish people is one of migration. The pendulum swings and a community like Kochi with a 2000 year Jewish history in this region can be wiped out in 70 years. What will the major Jewish centers of today look like in 500 years, or 1000 years.

We also paid a visit to the Chendamangalam Synagogue. Another synagogue turned into a museum, this was another breathtaking experience. At the front of the structure sits a solitary grave marker belonging to Sarah bat Yisrael. The date on her faded marker indicates that she died in 1269, a stark reminder of the rich history contained in this space. Once again, we joined our voices to the thousands who have come before us as we graced the space with the singing of Shema.

As we depart this region and head to Mumbai, allow me now to revisit some of the key questions I had asked before about India:

1. Why India? We have encountered such a rich and eclectic history. This is a country vast enough to include and accommodate a great many faith traditions, and perhaps because of the Spice Trade, has been at the center of the religious galaxy for some time. But it is also a people who are kind, who are caring; who are humble and un-imposing. The simplicity of worship in Hindu tradition compels introspection. Even when a people are no longer present, their spaces are venerated as holy…if only holy to them.

2. How does India survive at the intersection of tradition and modernity? Interestingly, our guide was telling us about the beauty of the state of Kerala and the city of Kochi. She boasted some impressive statistics – a 98% literacy rate, a minimal poverty rate, a caste system that is largely ineffective, encouraging a meritocracy of sorts. As she was speaking, I glanced at the newspaper, which is littered with headlines and stories about the epidemic of child rape in this region. In fact, as our guide uttered the phrase, “This region does not have the problems of the rest of India,” I read the headline, “21% of rape victims in Kochi under the age of 12.” And there were 161 rapes in this city alone in 2017. And there was a USA Today lead story this morning about an individual from the Untouchable cast who plans to ride a horse to his wedding, a tradition reserved for upper castes. The India Supreme Court has sided with him, and police will protect him and his bride during the wedding. But what happens after the ceremony? What kinds of repercussions will his family experience for his action? While we can celebrate the steps forward…there is a traditional and barbaric side of India that is the subject of another set of stories, a parallel experience. I am starting to realize that tradition and modernity do not intersect often; rather, they are the tale of two Indias.

3. How will this India change me? There is something unnerving about walking into a museum dedicated to an extinct people to which you currently belong. And yet there is something beautiful about seeing the similarities across the ages, across the melodies, and throughout the stories. I’m already feeling like this trip has provoked incredible questions about the way I experience Judaism and the way I experience spirituality. More an intellectual with regard to my own Jewish lens, I am compelled by the spirituality of this place and can already see a shift happening in my own perspective.

Our group now leaves Kochi and heads to Mumbai. Our days in India fleeting, we enter the big city with eyes open to the glow of a thousand suns.

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 9

Day 8

What is the difference between a museum and a memorial? That was a guiding question of today as we immersed ourselves in the Jewish world of Kochi. Well, sort of…

We started with a brief walking tour, taking us to the locked gate protecting the Tekkumbhagam Synagogue. At one point a grand synagogue dating back to the 1600s, it had fallen into a bit of disrepair in the 1900s. The community decided to renovate in the 1930s but work was halted by two factors: first by World War II and then by the emigration of many of the Jews of India to the newly-declared State of Israel.

Let me pause for a moment to point out that there was once a thriving Jewish community in Kochi but now it is down to 5 people. Unlike other communities where the Jewish community experiences anti-Semitism and is forced to leave, this community left of their own volition, due primarily to four converging factors:
1. The founding of the State of Israel 70 years ago in 1948. Jews had been praying to return to our homeland for centuries and once the State was declared, many diaspora Jews chose to emigrate. That emigration depleted many of the Jews of Kochi.
2. A lack of available partners. The Jewish community here does not intermarry, so as roughly an entire generation left the country to move to Israel, those left behind were left with fewer options to marry. The second generation left behind has even fewer options or, as has actually happened, has no options, as the remaining individuals are either widows or single.
3. British Colonialism impacted the community. The area is too hot in the summer for the British, so they set up two other centers of administration: Delhi and Bombay (now Mumbai). As a result, many of the Jews, who were traders, left the community for greener pastures.
4. Finally, there was much disconnect between Jews of different immigration waves to this area. The Black Jews and the White Jews established separate communities, interacting periodically but largely keeping to themselves. The story of the White Jews became the dominant story of the Jews of India and especially Kochi, leading many of the Black Jews to feel left out and, in fact, erased from history.

Now, this historic community stands in disrepair, the government of India taking control as there is no community left to administer this site. The entry way is locked – with a padlock and chain – and, other than a sign and a nameplate on the wall, is now an empty frame haunted by the ghosts of the past.

We continued on to our second synagogue, Kadavumbagam Synagogue, and met with the charming Shomayr (guardian), Elias. Dating (perhaps) to the 13th century, the synagogue fell into disrepair (a similar story for similar reasons) and closed in 1972. In 1977, thieves broke into the building and stole much of the contents.

In 1979, Elias was appointed by the community to guard the building. He mentioned that he wanted to go to Israel but his mother insisted that he stay behind to care for her. Elias’ own children moved to Israel and, in 1986, he again tried to move. Again, his mother forbade his action. And just a few years ago, he decided that his purpose was to rebuild and rededicate the Kadavumbagam Synagogue. He set about devoting his own funds and raising some more…and the building is now nearly complete. But Elias has no plans to leave. His dream to move to Israel was realized by his children.

While Elias regaled us with stories about the worship in the space and the last wedding (held in 1972), I couldn’t help but wonder about whether we were standing in a museum to the Jews of Kochi or a memorial to a once vibrant community.

Following our excursion through the history and present of the Jewish community, we went to visit a very charming family for a cooking demonstration and then a lovely lunch. Truly, people have been raving about this being one of the best meals they have had the entire trip! Jaisy Vibin and her family were remarkable hosts!!!

We paid a visit to the initial burial place of Vasco DE Gama and did a bit of shopping, we toured a market with all SORTS of fresh foods, the guys had a L’Chaim in Bob’s room and we are on our own for dinner. A glorious day today!

More questions tomorrow – and, I believe, more answers!

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 8

Day 7

Shabbat Nirvana

This was a day where we reached Nirvana regarding our observance of Shabbat. After a week of traveling and touring and hustling and bustling, we slept in a bit and, after breakfast, spent the day on a houseboat journeying through the backwaters of Kerala. We learned a lot about this community, about what makes them distinct from other communities in India, and had a profoundly relaxing experience. Namaste.

We followed that experience with another unique cultural experience: we took in a Kathakali show. Kathakali is a major form of classical Indian dance, a “story play” distinguished by elaborate costumes and colorful makeup. It developed in this region and the experience was a bit jarring for several in our group. Largely wordless, the music drives the stage performance and the characters communicate through gestures and eye movements. It is beautiful and uncomfortable and truly we are lucky to have been able to take advantage of this art form tonight.

We ended our evening with Havdalah and dinner, another delicious meal filled with great conversation!

Not a terribly deep day today – the conversations that we shared about some of the greater issues with which we have been struggling on this trip occurred on the houseboat and I’ll keep those just between our group for now. But it was a fun day, a reminder that everything need not be fast or heavy on these trips; that we have come a long way from first meeting either at an information session a year ago or upon our arrival in India. We truly have a remarkable group and I am delighted to see the bonding, the familial connections developing, and to have this experience with the people we have assembled.

So…until tomorrow! Shavua Tov!

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 7

Day 6

Shabbat in India

Throughout our journey so far, we have been having conversations about “others.” We focused on our worldview as westerners in comparison to the local attitudes and worldview(s). We focused on the wealth disparity between those of us on this trip and those living in extreme poverty in India. We even compared and contrasted our dietary palates as a way of engaging further in the conversation.

But today, the conversation became, in a way, about us…in a way that it had not before. We left Jaipur this morning and journeyed to Kochi (also known as Cochin) in the region of Kerala. This is the region made internationally famous a few hundred years ago (perhaps as long as a few thousand years ago!) through the spice trade. It is lush, it is hot, it is humid…and it is beautiful. It is the origin of bananas, Black Gold (pepper), and perhaps even the location of the missing Ark of the Covenant…and it is in some ways very sad.

There are several theories about how Jews got to India. Some records indicate that the first Jews sailed to South India on trade ships of King Solomon; others say that they came during the Babylonian exile; others that they fled after the destruction of the Second Temple; still others indicate a fourth-century migration from Majorca. Regardless of how they got here, the story is fascinating, with factions taking up sides in a growing community, entanglements in local and regional politics, terrible racism based on the light or dark color of skin. It is a story that at its height included thousands of Jewish families…and is now down to 5 people left.

I can’t go into the full story for the saga is far too lengthy for this forum. But our group began to interact with that story, taking a walking tour throughout Jew Town and seeing the sights of a community that in number is only a fraction of itself but in actuality is incredibly tight-knit and driven. While a good number of the synagogues lie in disrepair…the cemetery is meticulous.

I should point out that the Jewish community is not a separate subset of the community of Kochi but is fully an integral part of the city. Non-Jews look out for the Jews and assist when there is physical need and have contributed to the upkeep of Jewish sacred sights. Tombs of mystics lie amidst the winding roads of the non-Jewish area but are kept in terrific repair. Kochi is not a monolithic community and so many of the religions that are represented here have as a central tenet the need to welcome the stranger. Thus, the tossed-salad metaphor of multiple religions needing each other to complete the picture is appropriate.

Tonight we held services in the Paradesi Synagogue, the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations. Constructed in 1567, it predates the oldest synagogue in the United States by almost 200 years. Prior to setting foot in the space we paid a visit to community elder Sarah Cohen. Now 95 years old, we found Sarah sitting in her chair, prayerbook in hand. Our group entered her room and wished her a Shabbat Shalom, offered a prayer for good health, and I offered the Priestly Blessing upon her. It was a moving moment for me personally having read about Sarah in several articles and books and recognizing the tremendously important role she plays in the community.

It was important to pray in the synagogue and, sadly but predictably, we had the place to ourselves. The service was short and a highlight, at least for me, was chanting Shema in that space. Tonight, we gave voice to the prayers that have been offered in that room for just shy of 400 years. And we spoke for the five Jewish people left in the community who could not be present.

The story is just beginning to unfold, but this story, our story, already strikes us differently from the stories we encountered this last week. From now until the end of the trip, the story on the ground is our story. And now it is time for it to get told.

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 6

Day 5

You know its going to a great day when it begins with a ride on an elephant.

Our experience in Jaipur today started with an early morning ride up to the Amber Fort on the backs of elephants. The actual “riding of the elephant” - an elephant going uphill in 85 degree weather, rocking back and forth, shifting weight without warning, was remarkably more safe than the rickshaw ride from a few days ago. But it was just as much fun. And, yes, there are pictures included.

We explored the Amber Fort before returning to Jaipur, the Pink City (known as such because each façade throughout the entire city is painted pink – a remarkable sight), for a visit to a textile museum specializing in traditional Indian garb. We participated in a stamping workshop that was educational and fun and began exploring what is sadly a dying industry. With the advent of mass printing, the art-form has become digitized. This means that the current generation may be the last generation that has designed these beautiful clothes by hand. Once again, India…at a crossroads between tradition and modernity.

After a brief stop for lunch, our group visited the Jantar Mantar observatory where we began to understand more deeply the connection between Indian culture, Hinduism and Astrology. Basically, when we Jews proclaim that it Beshert, Meant to Be, Written in the Stars…well, the people of India share that belief and place great emphasis on astrological signs and indicators. It was an enlightening and eye-opening time in the park!

We paid a visit to the remarkable Birla Temple, an amazing Hindu temple that was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes would be allowed to enter the temple. While the structure was certainly beautiful, the sentiment of its founding was even moreso.

Our day culminated in a few wonderful experiences that showcase the most traditional aspect of India, one that is not changing: the people. We started shopping in the early afternoon in the downtown and were able to interact with a few hundred of our best friends. Seriously. The line, “Hello my friend! Come look at my shop” was a familiar refrain heard over and over again. And we ended the night dining in home hospitality with a local family who welcomed our attempts at cooking and STILL prepared a full home-cooked meal. In both circumstances, we encountered the heart and soul of this vibrant country: the people.

A fitting end to our stay in The Pink City and begin our immersion in the Jewish population of Cochin.

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 5

Day 4

From the Sacred to the Sacred

It is so rare when we are not disappointed when our lofty expectations intersect with reality.

For many in our group, the most compelling part of the trip to India was to visit the iconic Taj Mahal. We’ve grown up seeing this image depicted in films and on television, seeing pictures of annual festivals with crowds assembled and have engraved the iconic image of Princess Diana seated in front of the Taj in our minds and on our hearts. And today we started our day turning a dream into a memory.

We have been exploring the history of the Moghuls these last few days. Successive Moghuls, the rulers of India for hundreds of years, have been largely measured against the first six Moghuls, beloved rulers whose impact on India transcends their lifetimes. The fifth in that line is Sha Jahan, who met and married his beloved bride, Mumtaz Mahal, while still a teenager. Years into their marriage, Mumtaz became ill and, knowing that she was about to die, summoned her husband. Sha Jahan went to visit her and, kneeling beside her, he asked her if she had any last wishes for him. She offered two: (a) that he would never have any more children and (b) that he would build a memorial to her that would remind future generations of their love.

As she closed her eyes for the last time, a single tear rolled down her cheek. The grief stricken Moghul Emperor removed the teardrop from his beloved’s face and eventually built her a mausoleum that looked as though it was: “An eternal teardrop, descending from heaven on the cheek of time.”

The Taj Mahal stands as a lasting tribute to love and the woman whose tear inspired generations. And as I wrote in my opening, as lofty as our expectations have become through these days, standing in that spot truly takes your breath away.

We followed that visit with a trek to see, Fatehpur Sikri the capital of the second Moghul Emperor, Akbar. Akbar famously had three wives (and hundreds of concubines) – one a Hindu, one a Muslim, and one a Christian. They co-existed in harmony (both the wives and the people) under his rule. And this provides insight into another of the questions guiding my visit through India: How does India survive the intersection between tradition and modernity?

Knowing that today Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan have religious differences at the core of their conflict, in large part amplified by 1947’s Partition, one may look at the example of Akbar to understand how he navigated those differences. At his palace, religious iconography of each spouse adorns the complex. As he was a Muslim, he was expressly forbidden to include symbols of God in his home…and yet the Hindi wife, with his approval, of course, had her home decorated with the elephant, icon of the Hindu God Ganesha. Just above the icon? A verse from the Koran.

The lasting lesson as we leave Agra and head to the city of Jaipur is to look back to the experiences of those who have come before for insight into how to navigate the challenges of today. We see this exemplified in the religious tolerance of Emperor Akbar and we see this in the veneration of women exemplified by the devotion of Emperor Shah Jahan.

I look forward to experiencing the pink city of Jaipur…and to coming closer to answering my questions about this amazing country.

POST SCRIPT: I wrote this text on our drive from Agra to Jaipur, a 4 hour drive. Upon arriving at our hotel, we promptly encountered a traditional Indian wedding! A few of us followed closely, taking lots of pictures and interacting with the guests. And then a few fewer of us went down a bit later to see the festivities, only to be invited (as per Indian custom) to be guests at the wedding! No, we didn’t sit down, but we did sample the appetizers and wished the family members many blessings in the years to come!

POST-POST SCRIPT: A very happy birthday to tour participant Lynn Lieberman Ritvo!!!

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 4

Day 3

India: Oh What a Day; Oh What a Night

Our day began as we said goodbye to Delhi. The experience was breathtaking and proved to offer quite an orientation to this amazing country. I wrote just a few days ago about some of the guiding questions and Delhi has provided a few intriguing answers:

1. Why India? The experience in Delhi has provided a few answers as to why this place has been so identified with spirituality. In large part it is because this is the birthplace of Hinduism. The basis of Hinduism, as I understand it, is that it rests in recognizing the Brahman or cosmic power – the supreme soul of the universe. It is a self-existent, absolute and eternal. All things emanate from it and all things return to it. Each human being carries within him or herself a part of this eternal soul, and the goal of all Hindus is to unite the individual soul with the cosmic soul. This is done through a respect of all living creatures, a plurality of Gods who have at times interacted with humanity, and intentionality in getting into relationship with others. I know that Hinduism is not the only religion practiced in India today – but it is the openness at the core of Hinduism that has identified this land with accommodation and spirituality. This philosophical approach, by the way, is in stark contrast to religious and territorial wars of the past and the treatment of citizens within this country in a different caste.

2. How does India survive at the intersection of tradition and modernity? Delhi has taught me that there is not one India, there are many Indias. And there are a lot of intersections at play, not just between tradition and modernity. At times this struggle plays out in the woman who wears traditional garb but speaks on a cell phone, wearing a backwards baseball cap. At times it plays out in the treatment of women on the tribal level, where horrific crimes are committed against women by adherents of a tradition that is not sustainable in a changing and modernizing country. It plays out every day on the streets – where the British imposed left-lane driving and some follow this…until they don’t and just shift to the other side. It further plays out on the streets not just in the reconciliation of a colonial history with an independent present but in the vehicles: busses compete with trucks compete with rickshaws compete with cars compete with motorcycles compete with tonga (horse and buggy) compete with pedestrians compete with cows (yes, cows!). All of these vehicles clog the arteries and yet it somehow works. How does India survive at the intersection of tradition and modernity? India is, as Ambassador Daniel Moynihan called it, “Functional Anarchy.” How this will play out will have dramatic implications for this country and these people.

3. How will this time in India change me? A question that I cannot possibly answer at present.

What strikes me about India is that each community we visit will most certainly inform my answers to these questions. But as we pulled out of Delhi, I felt like I have begun to process how that city answers these questions and look forward to similarly processing with Agra.

Which brings me to this day. We began with a four hour drive to Agra, time on the bus filled with a detailed conversation about the Indian Caste system. I was most interested in hearing someone from India (our incredible local guide Mr. Singh) explain this complex system to a foreign audience and while I have a better understanding as the day closes than I had when I awoke, I must say that I find it terribly perplexing. I see it as such a stark contrast to many of the ideals of Hinduism and modern-day, post-Gandhi India. What heartened me was to learn that society is beginning to fluctuate and the caste system is starting to be followed with decreased urgency. Nothing is going to change soon, but the conversations that we as westerners have about the caste system are now being advanced by people within the caste system. As in our country, much emphasis on change is now placed on the shoulders of the generation emerging into adulthood. And like in our country, they seem up to the task.

Our visit to Agra included a ride on a tonga which, after the rickshaw from yesterday, proved to be a most calming experience…for the first 10 seconds. As soon as we climbed onto these rickety carts we realized that only the fingers of God were keeping this thing from tipping, a fact of which we were reminded at every speed bump. We competed with other vehicles for the right of way and I do believe that our driver was more interested in getting the right of way than in making it to the destination with all passengers on the tonga. Actually, Mr. Singh pointed out something to us earlier in the day: In India, we have great faith…in the ability of other drivers.

The tonga took us to Agra Fort, an immense collection of palaces built by Moghal emperors in the 16th century. It was a beautiful scene with an incredible history, punctuated with our first viewing, off in the distance, of the Taj Mahal. I’ve included pictures of Agra Fort along with this post, but those pictures hardly capture the grandeur and the beauty of this historical space.

Our formal program ended with a visit to the tomb of Itmad Ud Daulah. Another stark and beautiful site, this site was started under one Moghal tradition (red sandstone) and completed under another (white marble, as exemplified by the Taj Mahal). What I loved about this site was three-fold:

1. It was beautiful. Truly, this is a site that takes your breath away not only from the first look but with each turn through the maze-like campus.

2. It offered an opportunity to interact with a few children who allowed me to take their picture…for a donation.

3. It proves that India does some amazing work when in transition. Knowing that the country is in transition from tradition to modernity, and knowing that this site is a crowning achievement of the shift from red sandstone to marble, it fills me with optimism that this period will also witness some lasting achievements to be visited and celebrated in the generations to come.

We checked into our new hotel in Agra and were encouraged to make it an early night due to an early departure to the Taj Mahal in the morning. A number of us decided to venture off campus to a dinner that was incredibly impactful and, honestly, deserves its own post.

We’ve heard about the terrible situation in which women are victims of acid attacks in India. In these situations, individuals (or groups) will throw acid onto the body of another person with the intention to disfigure those individuals. Women, almost always the victims in the attacks, are left permanently scared and, often, “undesirable” by mainstream India. The stories are tragic – a woman who was victimized because she only gave birth to girls; a woman disfigured at 3 years old because a family member dishonored a member of another family (her situation was the punishment in a tribal fight); a girl whose mother doused her with acid; a girl who spurned the advances of a cousin only to have that cousin (and his friends) attack her; a woman who was just walking down the street when she was the victim of a random attack. The stories are heartbreaking and I look forward to answer the following questions in the week to come:

1. What is the connection between a patriarchal society and acid attacks?

2. What is the connection between the caste system and these attacks?

3. Why in this society are women so frequently left to pay the price of familial or tribal feuds?

4. What is being done to address this issue?

So… a group of us went to dinner at a restaurant called Sheroes Hangout (https://www.sheroeshangout.com). The restaurant, run and staffed by female victims of acid attacks, is leading the campaign to both address the issue in India and to help the victims of acid attacks find community, affirmation, and direction. The food was great, but the conversations and interactions with these women was what truly inspired each of us. Go to the website and click on the video. You will most certainly find it as meaningful as did our group.

A new city (Agra) and many new questions. This trip is turning out to be more impactful that I imagined. And I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will.

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 3

Day 2

India Travelogue: Our First Day Together

So happy…together!
Our group has finally assembled all together and it just feels great. All of the prepping and studying and reading and meeting and greeting has led to this amazing first day together a group. To quote from another song: And I’m feeling fine.

We began our day with a most delicious breakfast, waking to several buffets with just about everything a person wants readily available. Following that delicious opening, we gathered for introductions and a brief history of India. Kudos to our ARZA guide Yishay for making a lengthy and confusing history not only relevant but engaging and entertaining.

We made our way to Raj Ghat, the site where Mahatmah Gandhi was cremated which currently houses a black obelisk and an eternal flame. Kudos to our local guide, Mr. Singh, who gave us a biographical sketch of Gandhi’s life in less than 10 minutes. We felt ready to interact with history in a way that was very relevant and meaningful. And kudos to Ron Rosen who assembled us after our experience with the memorial monument to lead us in words of Mourner’s Kaddish.

We then took our lives in our hands and went on a rickshaw ride. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to ride a bike into incoming traffic, zigging and zagging through crowded alleyways, nearly striking a thousand passerby with regularity. Thankfully, I don’t have to tell you: I can show you. See the videos below.

Our rickshaw ride hit a middle point and let us off at the Jama Masjid, a 25,000 seater centrally located in India. While the architecture and story were amazing, we were all impressed with the grand numbers of locals who wanted to take their picture with us. A friendly country for sure!

We had a delicious lunch after a short rickshaw ride (again, see the post!) and then made our way to the Salaam Baalak Trust (see previous post). We enjoyed a tour of the government complexes in India before heading to dinner.

And now…now it is time to reflect. To reflect upon the questions, to reflect upon the traditions; to reflect…upon India.

On Child Poverty in India

Of the reasons not to come to India, perhaps the one I heard with the most frequency was a fear of being overwhelmed by the poverty. On this first day as a group, we were confronted with poverty on numerous occasions, most especially throughout our Rickshaw ride through the bustling marketplace and at the Jama Masjid. While peering out the windows of the bus, one can easily see dozens upon dozens of homeless people asleep in parks, on the side of the road; in the shade. We see stray dogs and, most strikingly, we see the street children.

Those of us moved by movies such as Slumdog Millionaire and Lion list key scenes as being particularly heartbreaking. These scenes feature children becoming homeless or homeless children being mistreated both by circumstance and at the hands of elders. Needless to say, those images haunted us as we were told, over and over again: don’t give money to the children. If you give to one, many more will round the corner with their hands held out.

Our most emotionally impactful moment of the day came when we visited the Salaam Baalak Trust, an NGO working to keep children off the streets and get them the assistance they so desperately need. We held a frank and honest conversation with Nick, one of the staff members of the Trust, and two of the teens who have been rescued by the program. Let me introduce them to you now:

• Lelet was living in a small, rural community. At 4 years old his mother died and, shortly after, his father was diagnosed with cancer and died as well. A neighbor adopted him and his older sister, but they were used as laborers. One day he ran away from home and, looking for a cool spot to escape the sun, lay down in an empty train car. When he woke up, he realized that the train had started moving and he was now in the big city of New Delhi. He was excited about the prospect of being there and found his way to another boy roughly his age. Together they began finding garbage, specifically water bottles, cleaning it, and selling them. Yes, this 6-year-old was living on the streets and, as he explained it, was making good money. He fell in with some other children and started using drugs. In 2010, he decided that he needed to get clean and he found his way to the Salaam Baalak Trust building where they took him in and helped him. Now 17, he is looking forward to his graduation from school and to starting a career behind the camera making Bollywood films.
• Koshi was also young and from another rural community. His parents divorced and he went to live with his grandmother. He freely admits that he was not the easiest child and he kept pushing the limits. He had lost the trust of his grandmother, who sent him to live with his father and step-mother. But he was abused in that household, so he went to live with his mother. Neglected in that setting, he found his way to the streets. Thankfully he was not there too long before the organization found him, took him in, and has been helping him to turn his life around.

The stories are heartbreaking, especially when considering that there are currently 50-150,000 street/wandering children in Delhi who are without homes. One thousand homeless children per year enter New Delhi by rail and these are some of the reasons they are homeless: 
o Many are runaways;
o Some are fleeing step-parents due to an abnormally high mortality rate in rural India;
o Some are fleeing abuse – estimates theorize over 50% have been physically or mentally abused;
o Some have left crumbling schools – in India, many of the schools have teachers who either read the newspaper or don’t show up. Some of these students flee their communities for a better education;
o A staggering number of children got separated from their families at religious festivals or at rail stations, a fact that until I arrived here seemed implausible. Seeing the crowds…it seems that whatever percentage is currently estimated is far too low;
o Some kids live on the streets with their parents

The people with whom we spoke offered a different way of approaching this problem. First, we should note that our own understanding is not a complete understanding of the situation. This was exemplified through a onversation I had with one boy, age 11. I asked him why he was at this organization and he told me that his uncle dropped him off. I asked if he had other family and he explained that he and his sisters were being raised by his granny. I asked him about his parents and he told me that they had recently died. I asked him where his sisters were and he said that they were allowed to stay at home. Only he was sent away. Truly heartbreaking, I know. But after a few more questions, it became clear that he was sent to the organization because they offer education and he was not going to get a good education at home. In fact, his family members visit him for festivals and school breaks. A reminder to follow the first lesson: without digging deeper, we miss the details that can completely shift the reality of a story.

Second, we should not impose our own western values and sensibilities on another culture. Yes, they are living below the poverty line. But often these kids are living better on the streets than they would be at home or even as a part of an organization. They make more income, have a stronger community, and more readily meet success. This cannot be overlooked: some kids CHOOSE poverty not because they are choosing poverty but because what they ARE choosing is far superior to other options.

Third, there are NGOs that are truly making a difference. The Salaam Baalok Trust, which operates the school that we visited, has 7 shelter homes and 13 service points. Some kids just need a hot meal – they can go to the service point and get a meal, see a doctor, etc. They are also actively addressing mental health challenges that arrive from societal or situational homelessness. They are wildly successful at getting kids off the streats BEFORE they fall into the clutches of addiction. They had touch-points with 80,000 kids this year. And they are growing the services they offer.

Childhood poverty is tragic. All poverty is tragic, but this is an epidemic. The stories are real, the looks on the faces of the kids are real. But help is on the way. And with our support…we can affect change even with one child speedily and soon.

To support the Salaam Baalak Trust, see them on the web here: http://www.salaambaalaktrust.com

I will offer a greater post later about other impactful moments from today. But for now…lets just sit with this for a bit.

Click Here to See Pictures from Day 2

Day 1

Here only a few hours and already India has captured my attention. Much the same way a 5 or 6 year olds repeated “Dad,” “Dad,” “Dad,” “Dad” has a way of compelling the Dad in question to abruptly stop what he was doing and focus on the child, India’s reality has completely captured my attention, demanding that I wrestle with the many questions already being asked:

• Why India? While this question has been asked to me with regards to our Temple Sinai trip to the country, I have heard the question enough to determine that there must be something else compelling those two words: Why India? The short answer to the question that I’ve offered is, “Temple Sinai travels regularly to other states and countries and we seize the opportunity to interact with both the renowned non-Jewish sites as well as the existing Jewish community. Why India? Because one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world exists in Cochin and at present there are only 7 Jews left (there are many more in Mumbai). If we are going to sit at their feet and learn… the time is now. But MY interpretation, and the question I am wrestling at present, is “Why India?” Why has this country become so populace? Why is this such a spiritual epicenter for so many religions? Why has the Jewish community not been stronger here…and why does the Jewish community still exist at all here anymore. Why…of all places…India?
• How does India survive the intersection of tradition and modernity? In each setting, one can observe those in traditional garb standing alongside those dressed in more modern fashion. You have rickshaws squeezing past 2018 model cars and trucks. Where so many places on earth have failed the intersection of tradition and modernity, finding them in deep conflict, India seems to balance the two in ways that, on this first day, just don’t make sense. I look forward to exploring this more in depth.
• How will my short time in India change me? This is a country where one need be “inside” to be effected. In my two weeks here, how will this country better inspire my spirituality? What will awaken in me as a result of this visit?

And so we embark on the journey. The final part of our group arrived this evening and we will gather for the first time at breakfast tomorrow. These questions and more will be asked, over and over, in the coming days. May these days help to find an answer.

Red Fort

Sikh Religious Ceremony

Soup Kitchen

The Grand Bazaar