Overview

Mumbai has a rich history with the Jewish Community. The first modern community to settle in Mumbai (then called Bombay) was the Baghdadi and they arrived around the 1930s. They came from as far as Iraq, Iran, and Egypt.  Then a decade later, the Bene Israeli Jewish community began their migration from the countryside into the city. And later the Cochin Jewish community added to the already growing numbers of Jewish residents in Mumbai.

In 1833, the arrival of Baghdad-born Jewish trader, industrialist, and philanthropist David Sassoon (1792–1864) marked a turning point in the history of the Jewish settlement in Bombay. His influence extended to many aspects of the Jewish community and to Bombay as a whole. Many hospitals, synagogues, and civic, cultural, and educational institutions in Bombay have been built thanks to the generosity of the Sassoon family.

There are eight synagogues in Mumbai – six belong to the Bene Israel community and two to Baghdadi Jews. The blue structure of the Magen David Synagogue is one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Jewish community.

Due to emigration, and after the establishment of the State of Israel and India's independence, the Jewish community in Bombay began to decline. According to estimates, about 2,700 Jews were living in Mumbai at the beginning of the 21st century. The city remains the last major center of organized Jewish life in India.