Conference asks: are there Bnei Anousim in Goa, India?
The history of the Bnei Anousim in the southern Indian region of Goa is usually overshadowed by the larger Bene Israel, Cochin and Baghdadi Jewish communities in India (not to mention the Bnei Menashe with which Shavei Israel works).
A conference last week aimed to rectify that.
For two days, on December 18 and 19, 2016, researchers from around the world gathered in Jerusalem to discuss all things Goa and the Jews.
Of particular interest to Shavei Israel supporters :a panel discussion on: “Are there Bnei Anousim today in Goa?
Jews have lived in Goa since the 16th century when they first arrived from the Land of Israel. The region was controlled for most of its modern history by the Portuguese and the Inquisition was instituted in Goa in 1560, driving some of the community underground where they became Marranos (the derogatory term for Bnei Anousim), formally converting to Christianity while practicing Judaism in secret.
Goa today has very few families with Bnei Anousim roots – most of the Jews in the region are Israeli backpackers and a sprinkling of Jewish and Israeli businessmen who meet up at the newly established Goa Jewish Center.
Among the topics that were covered at the conference:
- A history of the Jews of Goa – from early settlement to modern times.
- The Jews of Goa under the Portuguese in the eyes of contemporary novelists.
- The Lady of the Seas – the story of a 16th century spice trade empire and the Marrano connection.
- The “Law of Moses” in Goa.
- All ways lead to Goa: messengers, interpreters and informants in the Indian Ocean.
- Social definition and identity search in 16th century Portuguese India.
- The many lives of the Jewish physician Garcia de Orta.
- Moral panic over backpackers in Goa: the construction of a social problem.
Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund has explored the Goa Jewish connection in the past. In January 2014, he flew to Panaji, a city in the Goa region, to speak at a conference on “The Judeo-Christian Heritage of the West Coast of India.” That talk, however, was about Shavei Israel’s work with the Bnei Menashe community in India.
Here is a list of all the seminars and panels from the conference.