Abraham Barak Salem
Encyclopedia
Abraham Barak Salem was an Indian nationalist
and Zionist, one of the most prominent Cochin Jews
of the twentieth century.
in British India and now part of the Indian state of Kerala
. His family were meshuchrarim, a Hebrew
word used, sometimes neutrally and sometimes with derogatory intent, to denote a manumitted
slave. The few score meshuchrarim belonging to the White Jewish community, also known as the Paradesi
, were discriminated against by other White Jews, being relegated to a subordinate position in the Paradesi Synagogue
in Cochin. The White Jews also considered themselves racially distinct from the more numerous dark (or Malabari) Jews who had preceded them on the Malabar coast
.
Brought up by his mother, Salem attended the Maharaja's College in Ernakulam
and then moved to Chennai
to earn his Bachelor of Arts
degree, becoming the first college graduate among the meshuchrarim. Whilst in Chennai he also earned his law degree, the first Jew from Cochin to do so, before returning to practise as a lawyer in the Cochin Chief Court in Ernakulam.
, which for centuries had been barred to those whom they considered impure. Fernandes calls it "a bastion of white purity". The stratification in the Jewish community prevented the meshuchrarim from marrying other White Jews and forced them to sit in the back of the synagogue in a manner resembling the discrimination against converts from lower castes sometimes found in Christian churches in India
. Salem fought against this by boycotting the synagogue for a time and utilised satyagraha
as a means of combating discrimination within the community. This led some people to later refer to him as the "Jewish Gandhi". By the mid-1930s, Mandelbaum reported that many of the old taboos had fallen..
Salem served in the Legislative Council in the princely state
of Cochin from 1925 to 1931 and again from 1939 to 1945. A supporter of the nascent trade union movement in Kerala and active Indian nationalist, at the end of 1929 he attended the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress
which passed a resolution calling for complete independence from the Raj
. However, especially after visiting Palestine in 1933, Salem came to focus more on the Zionist cause. After Indian independence, he worked to promote aliyah
to Israel
among the Cochin Jews, visiting Israel in 1953 to negotiate on behalf of Indian Jews who wanted to migrate. This also helped to diminish the divisions among the Cochin Jews
Although most of Cochin's ancient Jewish community eventually left for Israel (and, in the case of many White Jews, for North America and England), Salem remained in Cochin until his death in 1967. He was buried in the White Jewish cemetery in Jew Town in Cochin, and subsequently the road adjacent was named after him.
Indian nationalism
Indian nationalism refers to the many underlying forces that molded the Indian independence movement, and strongly continue to influence the politics of India, as well as being the heart of many contrasting ideologies that have caused ethnic and religious conflict in Indian society...
and Zionist, one of the most prominent Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews , are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots claimed to date to the time of King Solomon, though historically attested migration dates from the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Historically, they lived in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now part of the...
of the twentieth century.
Early life
Salem was born in 1882 to a Jewish family in Cochin (now Kochi), then a small princely statePrincely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
in British India and now part of the Indian state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. His family were meshuchrarim, a Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
word used, sometimes neutrally and sometimes with derogatory intent, to denote a manumitted
Manumission
Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves. In the United States before the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished most slavery, this often happened upon the death of the owner, under conditions in his will.-Motivations:The...
slave. The few score meshuchrarim belonging to the White Jewish community, also known as the Paradesi
Paradesi
Paradesi is a 2007 Indian Malayalam film written and directed by P. T. Kunju Muhammed and starring Mohanlal.The film talks the issue of Indian citizens who left the country before independence in search of job, mostly to Arabia, and happened to reach Pakistan, and then when returned to the...
, were discriminated against by other White Jews, being relegated to a subordinate position in the Paradesi Synagogue
Paradesi Synagogue
The Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, located in Kochi, Kerala, in South India. It was built in 1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin...
in Cochin. The White Jews also considered themselves racially distinct from the more numerous dark (or Malabari) Jews who had preceded them on the Malabar coast
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
.
Brought up by his mother, Salem attended the Maharaja's College in Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
and then moved to Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
to earn his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree, becoming the first college graduate among the meshuchrarim. Whilst in Chennai he also earned his law degree, the first Jew from Cochin to do so, before returning to practise as a lawyer in the Cochin Chief Court in Ernakulam.
Activism
The dark Jews had seven places of worship; the White Jews had only one, the Paradesi SynagogueParadesi Synagogue
The Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, located in Kochi, Kerala, in South India. It was built in 1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin...
, which for centuries had been barred to those whom they considered impure. Fernandes calls it "a bastion of white purity". The stratification in the Jewish community prevented the meshuchrarim from marrying other White Jews and forced them to sit in the back of the synagogue in a manner resembling the discrimination against converts from lower castes sometimes found in Christian churches in India
Christianity in India
Christianity is India's third-largest religion, with approximately 24 million followers, constituting 2.3% of India's population. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings and 14th century Portuguese missionaries created an illusion to convert Indians that Christianity was introduced to...
. Salem fought against this by boycotting the synagogue for a time and utilised satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
as a means of combating discrimination within the community. This led some people to later refer to him as the "Jewish Gandhi". By the mid-1930s, Mandelbaum reported that many of the old taboos had fallen..
Salem served in the Legislative Council in the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Cochin from 1925 to 1931 and again from 1939 to 1945. A supporter of the nascent trade union movement in Kerala and active Indian nationalist, at the end of 1929 he attended the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
which passed a resolution calling for complete independence from the Raj
Raj
Raj and Rajya mean "royalty" or "kingdom" in many Sanskrit and Hindu languages, and may refer to:- Indian history :*British Raj, the British Empire in India...
. However, especially after visiting Palestine in 1933, Salem came to focus more on the Zionist cause. After Indian independence, he worked to promote aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
among the Cochin Jews, visiting Israel in 1953 to negotiate on behalf of Indian Jews who wanted to migrate. This also helped to diminish the divisions among the Cochin Jews
Although most of Cochin's ancient Jewish community eventually left for Israel (and, in the case of many White Jews, for North America and England), Salem remained in Cochin until his death in 1967. He was buried in the White Jewish cemetery in Jew Town in Cochin, and subsequently the road adjacent was named after him.