Desi Jews
This article possibly contains original research. (September 2007) |
Desi Jews are
The term Desi, found in most South Asian languages, is used by the South Asians to refer to themselves. It means "one of us, of our land", alluding to a common culture (the opposite is Paradesi or Videshi aka non-Desi, "foreigner", see Paradesi Jews). After the 1947 partition, the term is also employed when it is intended to avoid any allusion to the specific state of origin, also when the topic involves all the Indian subcontinent. Many outsiders tend to indiscriminately use the word "Indian" for South Asian people and culture. This might be considered offensive by non-Indian Desi (the state of India is just a part of the Indian subcontinent).
Unlike other areas of the world, the Jewish communities were accepted and integrated in the local society of the Indian subcontinent. Also, similar to the
The Desi Jewish communities are some of the oldest in world, with more than 2000 years of continuity in the Indian subcontinent (such as the
After the mid-20th century, when the Indian subcontinent was partitioned and Israel was created, most Desi Jews immigrated mainly to Israel.
See also
- Baghdadi Jews
- Bene Ephraim
- Bene Israel
- Bnei Menashe
- Cochin Jews
- History of the Jews in Bangladesh
- History of the Jews in India
- History of the Jews in Pakistan
- History of the Jews in Sri Lanka
- Judeo-Malayalam
- Judæo-Marathi
- Knanaya
References
- Dicţionar enciclopedic de iudaism, Editura Hasefer, București, 2000, ISBN 973-9235-99-9