ON A CHARIOT OF FIRE

A grandmother tells her granddaughter about their ancestors, who fled Israel for India nearly 2,000 years ago.

In 175 BCE, as Nani Penkar explains to young Maya, many Jews fought back against the Greek tyrant Antiochus, who ruled over Israel. Others—who became known as the Bene Israel—fled by ship. Their vessel was destroyed by a storm at sea; nearly everyone was killed, except for seven men and seven women who were rescued by Eliyahu HaNavi (the Old Testament prophet Elijah) and founded a community in their new home. Nani Penkar adds that Eliyahu HaNavi later appeared on a “flaming chariot” to tell the Bene Israel that they would one day return home. To mark the anniversary of this day, the Bene Israel prepare malida, a dish consisting of flattened rice, coconut, and fruit, and gather at Elijah Rock, where Eliyahu HaNavi is said to have come down from the heavens. Paired with matter-of-fact text, the intensely colored multimedia illustrations vividly highlight the stories of the past and the people who maintained their religious traditions while incorporating Indian customs into their daily lives (for example, speaking the Marathi language). A helpful author’s note explains that most Bene Israel have left India for other countries; Lyons also discusses other Jewish communities in India.

A visually enticing testament to the diversity of Jewish life.