A cause all Sanskrit Lovers must support

[Guest guest]

"Kalavai Venkat" <history_judge> wrote:

Dear List members,

 

Please see an appeal for contribution from Prof. Nathan Katz in

message

IndianCivilization/message/74626 .

This is a cause that must be very dear to every Hindu for two

reasons:

 

One, Prof. Katz is doing yeomen service by taking Sanskrit to the

community.

 

Two, Prof. Katz is one of the rare individuals that has paid the

richest tribute to India and her Hindu civilization. Those that have

read his book "Who are the Jews of India?" can easily connect to

what I have stated above. At a time when vested interests indulge in

a campaign of hate and lies against the Hindus and India, Prof. Katz

gratefully recognizes the fact that the Hindus played gracious hosts

to the Jewish people that sought refuge in India. Any Jewish person

or for that reason any balanced individual that has read Prof.

Katz's book will appreciate the pluralistic and tolerant spirit of

the Hindus.

 

I request every Hindu on this list, especially those living in the

West, to contribute for this effort. Vishal suggested that we can

pool in our contributions and mail it to Prof. Katz. Alternatively,

you can also mail him the contributions individually.

 

I am reproducing a few passages from Prof. Katz's book [taken from

the Amazon review by my friend Dr. C J S Wallia] so that you will

appreciate how much Prof. Katz's has done for Hindus and India. I am

also reproducing the appeal message in the footnote.

 

Please respond with suggestions on how we can raise funds and

support this effort.

 

Prof. Katz writes:

 

"Indian Jews lived as all Jews should have been allowed to live:

free, proud, observant, creative and prosperous, self-realized, full

contributors to the host community. Then, when twentieth century

conditions permitted they returned en masse to Israel, which they

had always proclaimed to be their true home despite India's

hospitality. The Indian chapter is one of the happiest of the Jewish

Diaspora.

 

(...)

 

As late as 1550 the Raja of Cochin refused to fight a battle on

Saturday because on that day his Jewish soldiers would not fight;

and they were the best warriors he had raised. Probably India is the

only country on earth so civilized that in war, out of deference to

its esteemed Jewish soldiers, no battles were fought on the Sabbath.

 

(...)

 

A crucial distinction between India and the rest of the Diaspora,

however, is that in India acculturation is not paid for in the

currency of assimilation. By acculturation I mean fitting

comfortably into a society while retaining one's own identity,

whereas by assimilation I mean that the loss of that identity is a

perceived condition for acceptance. The study of Indian Jewish

communities demonstrates that in Indian culture an immigrant group

gains status precisely by maintaining its own identity. Such is the

experience not only of India's Jews, but also of local Christians,

Zoroastrians, and recently, Tibetan Buddhists. This striking feature

of Indian civilization is reflected by each of these immigrant

groups."

 

Thanks.

 

PS: Prof. Katz's message:

 

Dear Friends,

 

Is Sanskrit a dead language? Unless someone steps up to the plate,

it is as far as FIU is concerned.

 

We were able to work out a cooperative arrangement with Hindu

University of America to offer two years of Sanskrit online. The

program is excellent in my opinion, and the first year is up and

running, and the second year is ready to go.

 

Our arrangement requires a modest buy-in from the community of three

thousand dollars per year. We received a pledge of support from

community leaders. Under this arrangement, FIU carries the lion's

share of the costs.

 

Unfortunately, the pledge has not been redeemed, and as FIU has to

watch costs so closely these days, this excellent program is about

to be cancelled.

 

This would be very unfortunate, as Sanskrit online benefits FIU, the

local Indian American community, as well as students and scholars

globally.

 

This is the very last chance to save Sanskrit at FIU. We need the

$3000 immediately.

 

Thank you for your consideration,

Nathan Katz

 

 

Nathan Katz

Professor of Religious Studies

Florida International University

Miami FL 33199

tel.: 305-348-3909

fax: 305-348-1879

 

Who Are the Jews of India? <http://www.khazaria.com/katz.html>

http://www.khazaria.com/katz.html

Journal of Indo-Judaic Studies: <http://www.usask.ca/relst/jijs.htm>

http://www.usask.ca/relst/jijs.htm

Center for the Study of Spirituality:

<http://cas.fiu.edu/SpiritualityCenter>

http://cas.fiu.edu/SpiritualityCenter

Web page: <http://www.indojudaic.com> http://www.indojudaic.com

--- End forwarded message ---