Synopsis "Shalome Rides a Royal Elephant the Story of the First Jews of Calcutta"
Shalome came to India from Syria in 1792. He was an astute businessman, and once he started his business in India, his work took him to many parts ofthe country. He wrote all about it in his diary. Now, some 240 years later, hisdescendant Jael Silliman weaves a great-fun story based on this diary, whereShalome's adventures are narrated by his little monkey friend, Chanchal.And what a colourful story it is, of royal elephants, silks, diamonds, and lotsand lots of mouthwatering delicacies! Chanchal describes how she meetsShalome in Gujarat and then accompanies him to Calcutta, a city that wassurrounded by jungles at the time. They spend a year in the nawab's palace inLucknow and meet the royal elephants there, and visit Maharaja Ranjit Singhin Punjab to see the Kohinoor!Funny, heartfelt, and filled with insights into Jewish life, Shalome Rides aRoyal Elephant is not just the story of Shalome and Chanchal, but also aboutthe great melting pot that is India where different communities and religionshave lived in harmony over the ages.
