WZO sighting in Mumbai celebrating Tu Bishvat with Jewish community Malida
Every year, the coterie holds a special celebration for Tu Bishvat where hundreds of community members show up in attendance to celebrate the holiday, plant trees and congregate together.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFConsul General of Israel in Mumbai,Yaakov Finkelstein, Mr. Elijay Jacob Executive Director, the joint (AJDC) India, Mrs. Gusti Yehoshua Braverman the head of the diaspora affairs, WOZ, Mrs. Khot, Principal of Sir Ely Kadoorie High School(photo credit: WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION)
In Mumbai, there rests a niche Jewish community called Malida.Every year, the coterie holds a special celebration for Tu Bishvat where hundreds of community members show up in attendance to celebrate the holiday, plant trees and congregate together.This year, the head of the Department for Diaspora Affairs at the World Zionist Organization Gusti Yehoshua-Braverman had the honor of participating in the activities of the day - which was an extension of the iVision Innovation Conference, being held for the first time in Mumbai. Held in collaboration with the local Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Indian Jewish Federation and the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai."As part of the Department's work seeking to empower small Jewish communities around the world, we held, together with the special local Jewish community of Mumbai, the 'iVision Innovation' Conference, discussing innovation in Israel," Yehoshua-Braverman said. "I want to thank the generous hosts for the opportunity to hold this conference together and to celebrate the Malida ceremony and Tu Bishvat with them.""iVision to me has been a platform to explore and learn of the different perspectives of new-age Zionism. An inspirational idea, a thought and concept that aligns me to the Land of Israel," Lebana Penkar, a young leader in the local Jewish community said. "iVision infuses me with a sense of pride for Israel and a confidence in the fact that my Voice matters to Israel."It invokes in me a new sense of Jewishness, which may not necessarily be religious in nature but is definitely Zionist in ethos. Because today I feel a sense of pride, belonging and common responsibility for the State of Israel, without experiencing the feeling of being on the Outside or the periphery as a Diaspora Jew. iVision has created a connection, a bond, and more importantly a sense of interdependence."
