There are only 25 Jews left in Calcutta, India (now called Kolkata, the pre-British name). That is down from the 5,000 that lived there prior to the 1950s. The first Jew came to Calcutta in 1798, and thousands more followed in the 19th century. Called "Baghdadi Jews; most were from Syria and present-day Iraq ("The last Jews of Kolkata," The New York Times, Oct. 24, 2013). They thrived during British rule, exporting silk and indigo and "playing a pivotal role in the opium trade." But since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, most have gone. They have gone to America and England, but they have also immigrated to Israel. The seats of Calcutta's once-bustling Magan David Synagogue are empty, and it is guarded by Rabul Khan, a Muslim guard who inherited the job from his father. He said, "Whether Jews come or not, we will still be here to watch over this place for them." They might as well sell that property, because the Jews will never have need of it again. "The last Jews of Calcutta" is a major prophetic sign of the times. Where are the Jews going? They are going home. "So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them" (Ezekiel 37:7-8). (Friday Church News Notes, November 1, 2013, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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