Traveling along maritime trade routes, Jewish merchants from Aleppo and Baghdad made their way east to the shores of India. Beginning in the late 18th century, they settled in Kolkata, where a vibrant Jewish community emerged, shaped by the rhythms, flavors, and cultural textures of the subcontinent. Drawn by economic opportunity, and at times fleeing plague and persecution, they established new roots while preserving the liturgy, customs, and family traditions of their heritage, even as these evolved into something distinctly their own.

Join us for a special Baghdadi–Indian Shabbat as we explore this rich and layered tradition. Friday night services will be led by Rahel Musleah, a seventh-generation member of Kolkata’s Jewish community, whose family traces its lineage to Baghdad. Through prayer, melody, and storytelling, we will experience this unique synthesis of Baghdadi and Indian Jewish traditions as they have been passed down across generations.

Following services, guests will enjoy a Baghdadi–Indian Shabbat dinner alongside a single-evening exhibition, “From Baghdad to Kolkata: Ritual Objects, Vessels of Memory,” featuring family heirlooms from the Kolkata Jewish community and offering a rare glimpse into a diasporic world where Middle Eastern and Indian identities intertwine.