Almost Englishmen: Baghdadi Jews in British Burma, Library of Congress presentation

[Guest guest]

You are cordially invited to the following upcoming presentation:

 

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Almost Englishmen: Baghdadi Jews in British Burma

A talk in English by Dr. Ruth Fredman Cernea, Anthropologist

Co-organized by The Asian Division Friends Society and Library of Congress

Professional Association Hebrew Language Table

http://www.lcasianfriends.org/event/almost_englishmen

 

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

12:00pm-1:00pm

Asian Reading Room Foyer, LJ-150, Jefferson Building

101 Independence Ave., SE, Washington, DC

(Metro stop: Capitol South on the Blue/Orange Line)

 

Contact: Dr. Anchi Hoh, adia, (202) 707-5673, Gail Shirazi,

gshi, (202) 707-9897

 

Description:

For more than a century, Jews from the Middle East-the Baghdadis-formed vibrant

communities throughout Southeast Asia. Linked across the miles by tradition,

family and economic ties, ideologically the Baghdadis existed between two

promised lands: the religious ideal of Jerusalem and the political promise of

England. Like other minorities in the complex society that was British India,

the Baghdadis gradually refashioned their lifestyles and aspirations on the

British model. The Jewish experience in the lush land of Burma is emblematic of

the experience of the extended Baghdadi community, whether in Bombay, Calcutta,

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Surabaya, or any of the other towns and port

cities throughout Southeast Asia.

 

About the Speaker:

Dr. Ruth Fredman Cernea, Anthropologist, has reconstructed the history of the

Jews of Burma through decades-long archival research and interviews in Burma,

the UK, Australia, Israel, the US and other places throughout the world. The

author has done a service to Jewish and colonial studies, documenting a

community and an experience that have been ignored in historical writings. She

is actively involved in attempts to secure the future of the Jews who remain in

present-day Myanmar. Dr. Cernea is the author of the anthropological study of

the Passover Seder, Afikoman in Exile, the editor of The Great Latke-Hamantash

Debate, and numerous articles on Jewish society and culture.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Thrasher,

Were the Sassoons Baghdadi Jews?

Katherine Brobeck

[Guest guest]

Yes. See the various Wikipedia and Wapedia articles on them. The poet

Siegfried Sassoon belonged to the same family; the hair stylist Vidal Sassoon

did not.

 

Allen

 

 

 

Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.

Senior Reference Librarian

Team Coordinator

South Asia Team, Asian Division

Library of Congress, Jefferson Building 150

101 Independence Ave., S.E.

Washington, DC 20540-4810

tel. 202-707-3732; fax 202-707-1724; athr

The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Library of

Congress.

 

>>> Katherine Brobeck <sivadasi 09/04/08 7:38 PM >>>

 

Dear Dr. Thrasher,

Were the Sassoons Baghdadi Jews?

Katherine Brobeck