2016-08-12 Fri

Israel Post issued a stamp featuring Indian Costume. Issued in the year of 1999, the stamp depicts a Jewish woman in traditional costume of India.

It is believed that a group of Jews arrived in India on a commercial ship from the Land of Israel to India. They call themselves Bene Israel (Childrean of Israel) and settled on the west coast of India especially in the State of Maharashtra.

The Bene Israel community is the largest of Jewish Community in India. They settled in India and got accustomed to the Indian traditions. They got so assimilated to Indian customs that it was very difficult to pick them out.

The costume depicted on the stamp is one of the examples of the customs the Bene Israel community adopted. Though, they had no restrictions of dressing, a Saree became a most common among the women of the community.

A Saree, being a distinctive mark of identification of India, Israel post has featured an Indian-Jewish woman in this particular attire. This stamp with the denomination of 3.25 Israeli new shekel is solid enough proof of tolerant behaviour of our ancestors.