Many of the synagogues in Bombay were built by and/or supported by a family of Bagdadi Jews named the Sasoons. He not only gave freely to Jewish causes but also to children and health care. One of the most beautiful synagogues was one called the Kenneseth Eliyahoo which had beautiful interiors. We also say the oldest synagogue in Mubai, the Shaar Harahamim (Gates of Mercy Synagogue which was built in 1796 by I can't remember his name but he was a Bene Israeli. This was a group of people who lived in India who had strange practices such as Bris Milah, kosher food, shabbos... but were not part of the world Jewish world. More recently the rabbis in Israel now consider them full Jews. Interestingly while living in India for about two thousand years they experienced
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