Shalom India Housing Society (Jewish Women Writers) - Hardcover
"Hilarious and heart-warming..."—Asian Age
“[Esther David’s] writing is a formidable work of literary art.”—Nissim Ezekiel, poet
“A poignant tale of a group never quite at home in its homeland.”—Nextbook
“Esther David perfectly portrays the individuals of the Bene Israel Jewish community in Ahmedabad, many of them torn between Israel's siren song and their own unique Indo-Jewish heritage. Hers is a window into an all too human world, presided over by a comic though attentive Prophet Elijah.” —Janet M. Powers, author of Kites Over the Mango Tree: Restoring Harmony Between Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat
“A nice piece of social anthropology, with a good deal of heart thrown in.”—Sunday Business Standard, India
Over two thousand years ago, remnants of one of the lost tribes of Israel appeared on the shores of India. They became known in India as the Bene Israel and nothing has been the same since.
After religious riots break out in modern Ahmedabad, a handful of the tribe’s descendants band together to live in a communal housing complex: the Shalom India Housing Society. Nestled amidst their Hindu and Muslim neighbors, the residents of these charming apartments find ways to laugh (the laughing club meets every morning on the lawn) and love, whether it is a crush next door or an Internet date with a distant Israeli.
Writing with wit and an artist’s eye for detail, Esther David vividly portrays a resilient group who share a fondness for the liquor-loving Prophet Elijah and costume parties. These true-to-life stories depict the joys and conflicts of a people continually choosing between the Indian traditions of their homeland and their Jewish heritage.
Esther David was born into a Bene Israel Jewish family in Ahmedabad, India, and she grew up in a zoo created by her father. She is the author of six novels and is also a sculptor, art critic, and columnist for The Times of India.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
Esther David is the author of The Walled City, By the Sabarmati, Book of Esther, Book of Rachel, My Father's Zoo, and Shalom India Housing Society. David started as an art critic and is now a columnist for the Times of India Ahmedabad. She also teaches art appreciation when she is not creating her own work. Jael Silliman is the author of Jewish Portraits, Indian Frames and co-editor of Dangerous Intersections, Policing the National Body, and Undivided Rights, which received a Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award. Currently, Silliman is the Program Officer for Women's Rights & Gender Equity in the Human Rights Unit, Peace and Social Justice Program of the Ford Foundation.
Review:
"[T]he nuanced portrayal of this diminishing community as a whole is quietly affecting." Booklist
"Hilarious and heartwarming." Asian Age
"Social anthropology, with a good deal of heart thrown in." Sunday Business Standard, India
"Though humorously tailored, Esther David has portrayed the fears and issues faced by the members of this small community to keep their identity, culture, and beliefs sacrosanct in India, a land of many gods. . . . Though the characters in this book are Jews settled in India, the insecurities the book vocalizes are the feelings and frustrations of the members of a minority community everywhere in this world." Feminist Review
"A delight to read, and an education as well, Esther David's new book is like being dropped down into the midst of an extended family's reunion. You might not know everybody when you first get there, but it's only a matter of time before you feel right at home." Blogcritics.org
"Esther David perfectly portrays the individuals of the Bene Israel Jewish community in Ahmedabad, many of them torn between Israel's siren song and their own unique Indo-Jewish heritage. Hers is a window into an all too human world, presided over by a comic though attentive Prophet Elijah." Janet M. Powers, author of Kites Over the Mango Tree
"[T]he nuanced portrayal of this diminishing community as a whole is quietly affecting." ―Booklist
"Hilarious and heartwarming." ―Asian Age
"Social anthropology, with a good deal of heart thrown in." ―Sunday Business Standard, India
"Though humorously tailored, Esther David has portrayed the fears and issues faced by the members of this small community to keep their identity, culture, and beliefs sacrosanct in India, a land of many gods. . . . Though the characters in this book are Jews settled in India, the insecurities the book vocalizes are the feelings and frustrations of the members of a minority community everywhere in this world." ―Feminist Review
"A delight to read, and an education as well, Esther David's new book is like being dropped down into the midst of an extended family's reunion. You might not know everybody when you first get there, but it's only a matter of time before you feel right at home." ―Blogcritics.org
"Esther David perfectly portrays the individuals of the Bene Israel Jewish community in Ahmedabad, many of them torn between Israel's siren song and their own unique Indo-Jewish heritage. Hers is a window into an all too human world, presided over by a comic though attentive Prophet Elijah." ―Janet M. Powers, author of Kites Over the Mango Tree
"Hilarious and heartwarming." Asian Age
"Social anthropology, with a good deal of heart thrown in." Sunday Business Standard, India
"Though humorously tailored, Esther David has portrayed the fears and issues faced by the members of this small community to keep their identity, culture, and beliefs sacrosanct in India, a land of many gods. . . . Though the characters in this book are Jews settled in India, the insecurities the book vocalizes are the feelings and frustrations of the members of a minority community everywhere in this world." Feminist Review
"A delight to read, and an education as well, Esther David's new book is like being dropped down into the midst of an extended family's reunion. You might not know everybody when you first get there, but it's only a matter of time before you feel right at home." Blogcritics.org
"Esther David perfectly portrays the individuals of the Bene Israel Jewish community in Ahmedabad, many of them torn between Israel's siren song and their own unique Indo-Jewish heritage. Hers is a window into an all too human world, presided over by a comic though attentive Prophet Elijah." Janet M. Powers, author of Kites Over the Mango Tree
"[T]he nuanced portrayal of this diminishing community as a whole is quietly affecting." ―Booklist
"Hilarious and heartwarming." ―Asian Age
"Social anthropology, with a good deal of heart thrown in." ―Sunday Business Standard, India
"Though humorously tailored, Esther David has portrayed the fears and issues faced by the members of this small community to keep their identity, culture, and beliefs sacrosanct in India, a land of many gods. . . . Though the characters in this book are Jews settled in India, the insecurities the book vocalizes are the feelings and frustrations of the members of a minority community everywhere in this world." ―Feminist Review
"A delight to read, and an education as well, Esther David's new book is like being dropped down into the midst of an extended family's reunion. You might not know everybody when you first get there, but it's only a matter of time before you feel right at home." ―Blogcritics.org
"Esther David perfectly portrays the individuals of the Bene Israel Jewish community in Ahmedabad, many of them torn between Israel's siren song and their own unique Indo-Jewish heritage. Hers is a window into an all too human world, presided over by a comic though attentive Prophet Elijah." ―Janet M. Powers, author of Kites Over the Mango Tree
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherThe Feminist Press at CUNY
- Publication date2009
- ISBN 10 1558615970
- ISBN 13 9781558615977
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages226
- Rating
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