Rahel Musleah

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Rahel Musleah I am a journalist, author, singer, educator and speaker. I was born in Calcutta, India, and love sha

My first chai in Mumbai before our main tour. I had already enjoyed almost the whole cup by the time this picture was ta...
13/11/2024

My first chai in Mumbai before our main tour. I had already enjoyed almost the whole cup by the time this picture was taken! Happy to be back in India with a great group.

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Queenie Hallegua, the guardian of Cochin’s Paradesi Synagogue and one of the last...
12/08/2024

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Queenie Hallegua, the guardian of Cochin’s Paradesi Synagogue and one of the last Jews in Cochin. She welcomed me into her home many times and graciously shared the stories, photos and customs of the community. Because of her Baghdadi background, she felt like family to me. ברוך דין האמת.

There's lots of room for YOU in this photo! Join me in exploring the richness of Indian Jewish life alongside India’s vi...
24/07/2024

There's lots of room for YOU in this photo! Join me in exploring the richness of Indian Jewish life alongside India’s vibrant hospitality and magnificent sites. India’s Jewish communities are getting smaller, so seize this opportunity to maximize your experience. Last chance to register for our November 2024 tour is August 7. Please message or email me for the exact tour dates. [email protected]. Learn more here:
https://www.explorejewishindia.com/uploads/7/5/3/4/75349621/brochure_website_2024.pdf

Many of us who sing at the North American Jewish Choral Festival have fond memories of Dr. Ruth, z”l. She shared her lov...
14/07/2024

Many of us who sing at the North American Jewish Choral Festival have fond memories of Dr. Ruth, z”l. She shared her love of song, her hutzpah, and her joie de vivre with us. She graciously posed for pictures with an incessant stream of fans. I was privileged to write a profile of her for Hadassah magazine. You can read it here.
https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2015/01/05/ruth-westheimer/

Israel, June 2024. A profound experience on a five-day solidarity tour with Melton Travel and then a week on my own in J...
12/07/2024

Israel, June 2024. A profound experience on a five-day solidarity tour with Melton Travel and then a week on my own in Jerusalem. Listening to witness testimony, volunteering, learning, connecting and reconnecting to our land and our people. This photo was taken at Shuva Achim near the Gaza border, where we donated t-shirts and prepared dinner for soldiers. Shabbat shalom!

Passover is on my mind! I have so many wonderful customs from Jewish communities around the world that I'd like to share...
16/04/2024

Passover is on my mind! I have so many wonderful customs from Jewish communities around the world that I'd like to share with you! Join me tomorrow, April 17 at 1 pm, for "A Taste of Passover from Baghdad to the Balkans," a free virtual program sponsored by Melton International. Through music, food customs, rituals, and stories, we’ll travel across the planet to glimpse the traditions of different Jewish communities, from matza-making to the Ten Plagues. We’ll learn how to personalize and re-enact the experience of leaving Egypt, share global interpretations of the classic dish of haroset; share contemporary ideas for children and families, and more. I hope you’ll be inspired to bring new ideas to your own seder table! Register here: https://events.org/events/calendarcourse?tid=375797b8-889c-4886-a692-f1cf9f100164

It’s not Purim anymore but this post is lively and appropriately joyful so I’m sharing it now anyway.
25/03/2024

It’s not Purim anymore but this post is lively and appropriately joyful so I’m sharing it now anyway.

Happy Purim from Kalaniot Books! The art shown here is by Louise August from WHY ON THIS NIGHT? A PASSOVER HAGGADAH FOR FAMILY CELEBRATION by Rahel Musleah. Yah, yah, we know this isn’t a Purim book, but buy it anyway on line and in stores!



With Rahel Musleah

Calcutta’s magnificent synagogues: Maghen David, Beth El, and Neve Shalome. Just last week at this time we were singing ...
23/02/2024

Calcutta’s magnificent synagogues: Maghen David, Beth El, and Neve Shalome. Just last week at this time we were singing Lecha Dodi in the sacred expanse of Maghen David. As always my father, especially, is with me spirit and soul at Maghen David. In Beth El, the posters of the hostages once again broke our hearts…but we took pride that an interfaith group created the poster display. Don’t put off your visit to India. Our next group is in Nov. 2024. Www.explorejewishindia.com. Shabbat shalom!

Jaipur, the “pink city,” named for its pink sandstone walls. Our group at Amer Fort, where we enjoyed an elephant ride a...
21/02/2024

Jaipur, the “pink city,” named for its pink sandstone walls. Our group at Amer Fort, where we enjoyed an elephant ride and marveled at the stunning architecture, color and decoration. India’s beautiful women, vivid in their finery, are a marvel in their own right. Join us on our next trip, November 2024. Please contact me for details and learn more at www.Explorejewishindia.com.

So excited to share!
14/02/2024

So excited to share!

A very happy book birthday to these amazing Passover-themed premium paperbacks coming out today from Kalaniot Books. Get your copy of AN INVITATION TO PASSOVER Rabbi Kerry Olitzky and Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen with illustrations by Mariia Kolker and WHY ON THIS NIGHT? A PASSOVER HAGGADAH FOR FAMILY CELEBRATION by Rahel Musleah with illustrations by Louise August on line and in stores everywhere. Follow this link for on line purchase: https://kalaniotbooks.com/our-books/ also available on Bookshop.org, Amazon, etc.

With Rahel Musleah, Kerry Olitzky, Deborah Bodin Cohen, Mariia Kolker

It’s wonderful to be back in India.  This is my 13th group! Each and every tour is different because of the people who j...
12/02/2024

It’s wonderful to be back in India. This is my 13th group! Each and every tour is different because of the people who join us. Here we are at the Magen Avot synagogue in Alibag, one of the villages near Mumbai.

Happy Tu B'Shvat! In India we called Tu B’shvat Tob Shebat. Because there is no "v" sound in Judeo-Arabic, the letter ve...
25/01/2024

Happy Tu B'Shvat! In India we called Tu B’shvat Tob Shebat. Because there is no "v" sound in Judeo-Arabic, the letter vet, or bet, is connected to the tet and yod, and becomes TOV, pronounced TOB. It's an auspicious twist, because tov means good. Tu B'shvat was also once an occasion to distribute charity to the poor in amounts of 91, The numerical value of the Hebrew word אִילָן, from the Aramaic word for tree.

Today's Tu B'Shvat seder is a simplified version of the intricate tradition described in Pri Etz Hadar (Fruit of the Beautiful or Magnificent Tree), an anthology of readings for Tu B'shvat from the 16th century. In our home in Calcutta, we invited guests to enjoy a bountiful spread of about 50 kinds of fruits and nuts, including the Seven Species of the land of Israel, and some fruit you've probably never heard of, like rose apple, moosambi (a type of lemon) and sapota (chickoo), with appropriate blessings recited for each. Readings from the Bible as well rabbinic and mystical texts that relate to fruit and trees are interspersed.

Tu B'Shvat is also celebrated festively in other communities. Ladino-speaking Jews have a ceremony called Frutikas. The Bene Israel Jews of Bombay hold a malida, honoring the prophet Elijah, who the Bene Israel say rescued their ancestors from a shipwreck on Tu B'Shvat in....India! After prayers are offered, members of the community eat from the malida offering, which features sweetened dried rice mixed with fruits, nuts, and aromatics, piled high in the center of a round plate. The malida is now a national ceremony on Tu B'Shvat.

I also like to picture Tu B'Shvat as a journey of roots, something that marks so much of my work. If you'd like to read more, please read my blog and visit my website, www.explorejewishindia.com

I’m so grateful to Kalaniot Books for bringing my haggadah back into print!
12/01/2024

I’m so grateful to Kalaniot Books for bringing my haggadah back into print!

Booklist’s Ellen Mandel’s review of the 2000 first edition of WHY ON THIS NIGHT? A HAGGADAH FOR FAMILY CELEBRATION by Rahel Musleah with illustrations by Louise August is glowing. Kalaniot Books’ updated edition of this Sydney Taylor Notable winner will be the perfect Haggadah for your family’s Passover celebration. Preorder your copy of this beautiful and family friendly book on line and books will ship February 13th. Follow this link to read Booklist’s full review: https://www.amazon.com/Why-This-Night-Passover-Celebration/dp/B0C77L4CYL/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1XXSOWZ2KZFNF&keywords=Why+on+this+night&qid=1704135028&s=books&sprefix=why+on+this+night%2Cstripbooks%2C103&sr=1-6

With National Book Network, Booklist, Rahel Musleah, Publisher Spotlight

Mandel

India and Israel have had a deep connection since ancient times, when traders as far back as the reign of King Solomon m...
10/12/2023

India and Israel have had a deep connection since ancient times, when traders as far back as the reign of King Solomon may have made their way to the south of India. The Bene Israel Jews say they escaped the Hellenist persecution that caused the Maccabees to rebel. They were shipwrecked off the coast of Bombay and found refuge in the local villages.

The Israeli stamp above, issued in 2012, recognized the ties between the two countries. Today, in these troubled times, India's government and its people support Israel.

Join us on our next tour, February 8-21, to experience India’s light and warmth yourself. Www.explorejewishindia.com
Contact me for more information.

Our November Explore Jewish India tour enjoyed a safe and successful trip! We loved the light and warmth of India during...
08/12/2023

Our November Explore Jewish India tour enjoyed a safe and successful trip! We loved the light and warmth of India during very dark times for the Jewish people and our beloved State of Israel.

In Agra, we marveled at the Taj's graceful beauty, "a teardrop on the face of humanity," in the words of India's poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

In Calcutta, we were awed by the dazzling Diwali celebrations and the riot of people at the Flower Market. Like Hanukkah, Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil.

In Jaipur, following a scrumptious meal at the home of a chef, we climbed into auto rickshaws to safely negotiate the throngs of people preparing for Diwali. It was worthy of an amusement park ride.

In Mumbai, we participated in Shabbat services at the Knesseth Eliyahoo Synagogue and were warmly welcomed by the community.

In Cochin, we watched the sun set over the spectacular Chinese fishing nets and were astonished at the 700 students who visited the Paradesi Synagogue on their school holiday.

In Delhi, we marveled at the Sikh Temple's community kitchen that probably fed 50,000 on the day we visited, rich and poor alike, without distinction.

In each and every synagogue and sacred space we visited, we prayed for the release of the hostages seized by Hamas and the safety of the soldiers and people of Israel. We said kaddish for those who were murdered. Descendants of India's Jewish communities—today numbering almost 100,000 strong in Israel—now serve in the IDF and were among those who were brutalized and lost their lives. We sang wherever we went: Hatikvah, Am Yisrael Hai, Kol Ha-olam Kulo (in Hebrew and Hindi), the Prayer for the State of Israel, and more. Above is a display of hostage posters poignantly displayed in Calcutta's Beth El Synagogue.

We still have seats available for our February 2024 tour. Learn more here: https://www.explorejewishindia.com/explore-india-tour.html Contact me for exact dates and more information.

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