History of the Bene Israel of India: Natal Ritual

A member of the Bene Israel community, the largest of the three distinct Jewish communities of India, Haeem Samuel Kehimkar was born in Alibag (today in Maharashtra, India) and worked as a civil servant for the British governorate in Bombay. In 1853, he helped form the Bene Israel Benevolent Society, a social services organization dedicated to providing support for primary Jewish education and orphan care in the community. Along with his two brothers, Kehimkar opened a primary school in 1875 to teach children both Marathi and Hebrew. The school eventually expanded to include secondary education. In addition to his charitable and education work, Kehimkar edited a journal of communal affairs, published a Hebrew primer and book of Hebrew and Marathi songs, and wrote a pioneering history of the Bene Israel community; completed in 1897, the book remained in manuscript until 1937, when the Zionist activist, Jewish folklorist, and Hebrew translator from Eastern languages Immanuel Olsvanger had it published in Tel Aviv.