Journal of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center
No.16, Spring  2008


 

STUDY EVENING ON THE JEWS OF BURMA

On the occasion of the publication of the book by Dr. Ruth Fredman Cernea  Almost Englishmen, Baghdadi Jews in British Burma, the Research Institute of Babylonian Jewry held a study evening on April 25, 2007 at the Center.  Dr. Cernea, author of the book who came from the US, Members of the Academic Council of the Center and ex-members of the Jewish Community of Calcutta, were present.

 Dr. Zvi Yehuda, Director of the Research Institute, introduced the evening by presenting Dr. Cernea, a well known scholar who has been researching the history of the Baghdadi Jewish Communities of South-East Asia since her first visit to Burma in 1987. Dr. Cernea is the author of several studies of immigrant Sephardic communities in the United States, and served as Director of Research and Publications for the Hillel foundation, and editor of The Hillel Guide to Jewish Life on Campus.

Prof. Shmuel Moreh, Chairman of the Academic Council, congratulated Dr. Cernea for her interesting book thus illuminating an almost unknown community.

The first lecture, reviewing the book, was of Mr. Zvi Gabay, former Ambassador of Israel to Australia, Ireland and other countries. Mr. Gabay made many visits to the Far East. A report of one of his visits to the Jewish Communities of the Far East, including Burma, was published in Nehardea.

The second lecture was by Mr. Solomon (Sano) Twena, who was born and educated in Calcutta and made Aliyah to Israel in 1965. He spoke on "The Connection between the Jews of Calcutta and Rangoon". Mr. Twena told the audience of his memoirs during World War II when Jews from Burma sought refuge in Calcutta after the Japanese invasion.

Dr. Cernea, writer of the book, was the last lecturer of the evening. She was trying to answer the various curious questions and inquiries of the audience. Here are the lectures of Mr. Gabay, Mr. Twena and Dr. Cernea.