The Jewish Revival Inside Mumbai

My unpublished letter to the WSJ editor

Dear Editor:

In The Jewish Revival Inside Mumbai (May 29, 2025) by Howard Husock, the author provides a heartwarming account of Shabbat dinners and a thriving Hebrew school at the site of the terrible 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai. However, the author misses some critical points that would have helped the enlightened WSJ readers grasp the nuances of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks and Judaism in India. It may also, albeit unintentionally, give the idea that Indians were involved in those terrorist attacks. It's important to correct this misconception and clarify that the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack was the handiwork of Pakistan-based jihadists.

The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack was the handiwork of Pakistan-based jihadists. The carnage left 175 dead, including Americans. Earlier this year, in a significant development, the US government extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana, one of the main conspirators of the ghastly killings in Mumbai, to the Indian government. This extradition is a crucial step in bringing the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks to justice. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, his wife, and their unborn child were all victims of Islamic terror.

Jews have lived in India for nearly 2,000 years. India is probably the only country where Jews have never been persecuted. The Jewish genealogical journal Avotaynu observed that "Bene Israel flourished for 2,400 years in a tolerant land [India] that has never known anti-Semitism, and were successful in all aspects of socio-economic and cultural life of the people of the region." This peaceful coexistence of Jews and Indians is a testament to India's harmonious majority Hindu society.

Sincerely,

Avatans Kumar