On the evening of Thursday 27th February, a crowd of 100 people gathered for an Indian Jewish Association event at a hotel in Leicester Square, to watch a film about the Mumbai Jewish community and hear a talk by its Director, Alex Hayim.
Alex made the film, “Shalom Bombay”, in 1997 when he spent time in India. The audience, which included many people with Bombay Jewish roots were captivated by what they heard. Guests included Lord James Sassoon from the famous family and Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star.
The evening also featured a short address by Minister at the Indian High Commission, Manmeet Singh Narang, who mentioned celebrated Indian Jews Lieutenant General Jack Jacob and Sir Anish Kapoor.
During his short address, Manmeet Singh Narang said, “Indian Jews have been small in number but they have contributed immensely to the cultural and administrative landscape of India. I remember when I was young in service to hear about Jack Jacob. That was the first time I realised we had Jews in India. The Jewish community flourished when it was in India. In Britain, both communities have been extremely successful and contribute significantly.”
Alex Hayim said, "I am very grateful to the IJA for hosting and giving me the platform to dust-off my film and reintroduce the history of this colourful and rich community to a new audience. 'Shalom Bombay' is still incredibly relevant and focuses on the identity of a small but dynamic community that were able to flourish in an open and tolerant society."
IJA Co-Chair Zaki Cooper said, “It was an evening of reminiscing about old times but also making new friends. As Indians and Jews we have so much in common, and our friendship is such a natural one. We are finding a lot of energy and enthusiasm for our charity as we expand our work.”
