Jewish civilisation overcomes millennia of persecution

Through all the horrors that Jews have faced, including the Holocaust caused by Adolf Hitler, they have remained steadfast in their beliefs, beliefs that go back several millennia. They continue to greet even their foes with 'Shalom Aleichem'.

- M.D. NALAPAT

ANTI-SEMITISM A ROOTS OF POWER delegation from the American Jewish Committee has been visiting India for nearly a week, and are travelling around the country. Led by Jason Isaac, a long-time office-holder of the AJC, the delegation comprises the Director of the AJC Asia-Pacific Center, Shira Loewenberg, and other high-ranking members of the Center. In a world where actions based on anti-Semitism crop up in different parts of the globe, it would have been a relief to come to India, a country where those who are antiSemetic form a minuscule element of the population.

As Shira Loewenberg puts it, "We (the Jewish community) feel at home here, and that the people like us." They do, and for good reason. Jewish civilization has endured millennia of persecution, some with the intent of stamping out the Jewish faith from the world. Through all the horrors that Jews have faced, including the Holocaust caused by Adolf Hitler, they have remained steadfast in their beliefs, beliefs that go back several millennia.

And yet, despite all the persecution and injustice that they have been subjected to, the Jewish people continue to greet even their foes with "Shalom Aleichem" (Peace be upon you). Indeed, there is a popular song by the same title, which is sung by folks across the world.