India

Jewish heritage tours to India are an opportunity to see the Taj Mahal, megacities of over 20 million people, and food, sights, and smells unlike anywhere else in the world.

The country is a tapestry of history and an amazing location for Jewish heritage tours.

Visit the Agra Fort, built by Mughal Emperors, or a Hindu Temple inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi.

See the world’s largest laundromat. Visit sites of shipwrecks, and the palaces of maharajahs, and immerse yourself in the colors and culture of one of the most unique places on earth.

The Jewish communities of Delhi, Cochin, and Bombay have their own special histories, from some of the richest families in the world to some of the most beautiful synagogues.

Take a Jewish heritage tour to India to meet the current members of the Jewish communities, some of who have been in India for centuries, others who can trace their ancestry back to Baghdad, Iraq.

Visit a synagogue in Mumbai and meet the community, who came to the city when their ship wrecked off the Maharashtra coast in 175 BC.

See the Shaar-ha-Rahamim Synagogue, the Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue, and in Calcutta the Magen David Synagogue.

One of the most fascinating things to do on a Jewish heritage tour in India is head to the port city of Cochin and learn about the Cochin Jews and a history that goes back to King Solomon. The Paradesi Synagogue in Cochin is decorated with hand-painted tiles and Belgian glass chandeliers.

Nearby in older synagogues, excavations have unearthed coins, clothes, and tools dating back to Roman times.

There is nothing like a visit to India to understand the world and all of the fascinating paths Jewish history can take.