Bene Israel hail DNA result

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">PUNE: They have adopted mehendi and haldi ceremonies from Indian weddings, they speak fluent Marathi and many of them have enrolled their children in Marathi medium schools. <br />As fond as they are of their adoptive home, the 250-odd members of the Bene Israel community in the city were pleasantly surprised to open the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Sunday Times of India</span> on July 21.<br />An STOI exclusive report highlighted the results of four-year-long DNA tests in London which confirms their genetical link to the “original children of Israel� (literal translation of Bene Israel), who are said to have migrated to this country 2,000 years ago.<br />N M Aston, department head of English at the Wadia college, however, told TNN that his community did not proclaim their ''purity'' over the years.“But I am happy that the DNA tests have proved us as being ''children of Israel''. You see, Indian Jews were labelled as members having ''mixed'' blood,� he remarked.<br />Aston, whose relatives have now settled in Israel, said that there has been no discrimination in Israel after 1950, and that all his relatives were happy. For Aston, however, Pune and India have become home. “This is the only country where there is no discrimination,� he says.<br />The Bene Israeli Jews in Pune are a close-knit community and there are quite a few prominent members like noted management expert George Judah who is also president of the synagogue committee, former commandant of College of Military Engineering Lt Gen R Mordecai and former department head of botany in University of Pune S B David.<br />Also among them is Samson Talkar, honorary secretary of the Succath Sholomon synagogue in Rasta Peth, which is the oldest Bene Israel synagogue in the city. <br />He maintains that members of the community never thought of themselves as impure. “Traditional Jews or those who have faith in the Bible always believed that we were the original Jews. We knew in our hearts that we were the original children of Israel,� he remarked.<br />Ruben Daniel, a scientist at High Energy Materials Research Laboratory says he is happy that their origin has been scientifically proved.<br />“When Indian Jews go to Israel, they have to face extensive enquiry. They ask us about our ancestors, family members and we even have to furnish photographs of the graves of our ancestors. Then they cross check the information given by us,� he said. <br />“I often wondered why only Indian Jews were treated in such a manner,� he said hoping that the report about the DNA tests will remove all doubts once and for all.<br />Sholomon Jacob, care-taker at the Rasta Peth synagogue says that although his sons and sister have settled in Israel he does not feel like going there. “I have become old and Pune has been my home for many years. I don''t even know when my family came here. And although I cannot read English, I felt happy about the DNA report,� he said.<br />“We meet regularly for the Friday and Saturday prayers and important festivals like Rosh Hashana (new year), Yom Kipper (day of atonement) and the foundation day of the synagogue,� says Ruben Daniel.<br />“Our priest conducts Hebrew classes for our children on Sundays. You see, people of our generation cannot write or speak Hebrew,� he added. </div> </div>