The "Baghdadi" Jewish community of India is so called because its members were chiefly descended from Iraqi Jewish immigrants to India who moved to that country during the British Raj. The name of the community derives from Baghdad, although they do not originate exclusively from Baghdad, but from other areas of Iraq as well, in addition to other Middle-Eastern countries of the Ottoman Empire.
History
The community developed as a result of Jews fleeing religious persecution in Muslim lands to the northwest of India during the . Unlike other Jewish communities in India whose oral tradition attest to a presence in India going back as long as 2000 years, the Baghdadi communities were established relatively recently . While the Baghdadi Jews are known primarily from their presence in India, they also established themselves in trading ports further east, notably in Yangon , Singapore, Penang, and Shanghai, as well as the west.
The Baghdadis have completely assimilated into Indian society. A contributing factor to their assimilation was their physical features and resemblance to the East Indians. The Baghdadis originally came to India from Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan, so they had dark olive skin and black or dark brown hair, that gave them that distinct Middle Eastern appearance and an Indian resemblance.
Clothing in the Baghdadi community is usually Western clothing for men and the Indian sari for women.
Cuisine
Baghdadi cuisine is an Indian hybrid cuisine, with many Arab, , and Indian influences. Famous Baghdadi dishes include Beef curry, Baghdadi Biryani and Baghdadi Jewish parathas. A Baghdadi version of Tandoori chicken is also popular .
Famous Baghdadi Jews
*Lord Kadoorie
*Abraham Sofaer, actor
*, Bollywood actress
*J. F. R. Jacob, Indian military commander in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971
*Anish Kapoor, British Asian sculptor; Baghdadi Jewish mother
* & Simon Reuben, British Asian businessmen
*David Sassoon, merchant and founder of the Sassoon family
*Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, merchant
*Sassoon David Sassoon, merchant
*Sassoon J. David, banker and member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation
*Brian George, Israeli-born character actor of Baghdadi-Indian Jewish descent most well-known for playing the role of a Pakistani shop owner,"Bhabu", on Seinfeld
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