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The Bene Israel ("Sons of Israel") are a historic community of Jews in India, believed by some to have been one of the disputed Lost Tribes and descendants of ancestors who had settled there centuries ago. In the 19th century, after being taught about normative (Ashkenazi/Sephardi) Judaism, they tended to migrate from villages in the Konkan area to the nearby cities, primarily Mumbai, but also to Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Karachi, in today's Pakistan. They gained positions with the British colonial authority. In the early part of the twentieth century, many Bene Israel became active in the new film industry, as actresses and actors, producers and directors. After India gained its independence in 1947 and Israel was established in 1948, many Bene Israel emigrated to Israel. ==History== According to Bene Israel tradition, their ancestors had migrated to India after centuries of travel through western Asia from Israel and gradually assimilated to the people around them, while keeping some Jewish customs. In the 18th or 19th century, an Indian Jew named David Rahabi discovered the Bene Israel in their villages and recognized their vestigial Jewish customs. Some historians have thought their ancestors may have belonged to one of the Lost Tribes of Israel, but the Bene Israel have never been officially recognized by Jewish authorities as such. Rahabi taught the people about normative Judaism. He trained some young men among them to be the religious preceptors of the community. Known as ''Kajis'', these men held a position that became hereditary, similar to the Cohanim. They became recognized as judges and settlers of disputes within the community. One Bene Israel tradition places Rahabi's arrival at around 1000 or 1400, although some historians believe he was active in the 18th century. They suggest that the "David Rahabi" of Bene Israel folklore is a man named David Ezekiel Rahabi, who lived from 1694 to 1772, and resided in Cochin, then the center of the wealthy Malabar Jewish community. Others suggest that the reference is to David Baruch Rahabi who arrived in Bombay from Cochin in 1825.〔Haeem Samuel Kehimkar, ''The History of the Bene-Israel of India'' (ed. Immanuel Olsvanger), Tel-Aviv : The Dayag Press, Ltd.; London : G. Salby 1937, p. 66〕 It is estimated that there were 6,000 Bene Israel in the 1830s; 10,000 at the turn of the 20th century; and in 1948—their peak in India—they numbered 20,000. Under British colonial rule, many Bene Israel rose to prominence in India. They were less affected than other Indians by the racially-discriminatory policies of the British colonists. They gained higher, better paying posts in the British Army when compared with their non-Jewish neighbours.〔 Some of these enlistees with their families later joined the British in the British Protectorate of Aden. In the early twentieth century, numerous Bene Israel became leaders in the new film industry. In addition, men worked as producers and actors: Ezra Mir (alias Edwin Myers) (1903-1993) became the first chief of India's Film Division, and Solomon Moses was head of the Bombay Film Lab Pvt Ltd from the 1940s to 1990s.〔 Ennoch Isaac Satamkar was a film actor and assistant director to Mehboob Khan, a prominent director of Hindi films.〔|pages=53|note=Reference notes him as Ennoch Isaac Satamkar〕 Given their success under the British colonial government, many Bene Israel prepared to leave India at independence in 1947, as it appeared that nationalism and the emphasis on indigenous religions would mean fewer opportunities for them. Most immigrated to Israel, which was newly established as a Jewish homeland. File:Beth-Ha-Elohim.JPG|Synagogue in Pen, India. File:Synagogue Madhupura Ahmedabad India.jpg|Synagogue in Ahmedabad. File:120 Bombay 1890.png|A page from a ''Haggada shel Pesach'' in Judaeo-Marathi, printed in Mumbai, 1890. File:Bene israel-cimetiere juif de bombay en inde.jpg|Bene Israel Cemetery, Mumbai. File:Jewish community Madhupura Ahmedabad India.jpg|Members of the Jewish community in Madhupura, Ahmedabad. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bene Israel」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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