Current:
Open Space Fellow in Lucknow (India) for the Centre for Communication and Development Studies, Pune (India)
Member, Advisory Team, The Ten Lost Tribes Challenge: Expeditions of Discovery (A series of research and discovery expeditions that will provide authentic meetings in the field with various ethnographic groups around the world, who consider themselves - by their own traditions and beliefs, or according to historical and ethnographic research - to be descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.)
Year of Birth
1978
Marital Status
Single
Languages Known
Hindi, Urdu, English and Elementary Hebrew
Education
Post-Doctorate in the History of the Jewish People (Tel Aviv University, Israel, 2007)
PhD in Medieval & Modern Indian History (University of Lucknow, India, 2005)
MA in Medieval & Modern Indian History (University of Lucknow, India, 2002)
BA in Medieval & Modern History of India and the West, Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, and English Literature (University of Lucknow, India, 2000)
Indian School Certificate (La Martiniere College, Lucknow, India, 1997)
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (La Martiniere College, Lucknow, India, 1995)
Additional
2004, March 8-17: Sucessfully attended the Indian Council of Social Scientific Research (ICSSR) sponsored training programme on Methodology and Project Formulation at the Department of Public Administration, University of Lucknow
1997, July-December: Course in Urdu from the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy Coaching School, Lucknow
Awards & Scholarships
2008-2009: Open Space Fellowship from the Centre for Communication and Development Studies, Pune - tenable in Lucknow
2006-2007: Government of Israel scholarship for Post-Doctoral Research in the subject History of the Jewish People at the Graduate School of Historical Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel
2006-2008: Centre for Judaic & Inter-Religious Studies, Shandong University, China scholarship for D.Litt. in Judaic Studies (Could not accept)
Involvement in International Research Projects
2004, November-December and 2005, February-August
Representation of Jews, Zionism and Israel in Pakistani and Indian Muslim Discourse (Arts & Humanities Research Board, UK funded project) - Worked on an assignment for Prof. Tudor V. Parfitt, Chairman of the Centre for Jewish Studies, SOAS, University of London, and Dr. S. C. Yesudian-Storfjell, Research Assistant, Department of Near & MIddle East, SOAS, University of London.
2002, November
DNA Sampling of the Afridi Pathans/Pashtuns/Pakhtuns of Malihabad, Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, India - Teamed up with Prof. Tudor V. Parfit and Dr. Yulia Egorova (London University), and collected DNA samples of fifty paternally unrelated Afridi Pathans/Pashtuns/Pakhtuns in Malihabad to confirm their putative Israelite descent, thus initiating the first ever genetic research on any Pathan/Pashtun/Pakhtun tribe in history.
Participation in Seminars
2009, March 18: Seminar on the great Orientalist of Lucknow Allama Mufti Mohammad Shostari, on the occassion of his 200th Birth Anniversary, organised by the Department of Oriental Studies in Arabic and Persian, University of Lucknow
2009, February 10-12: Seminar on Transforming Gender Relations: Redifining Masculinity, Education & Agricultural Interventions, organized by Saajhi Duniya and sponsored by the Indian Council of Philosphical Research in collaboration with Oxfam in Lucknow, India
2008, September 30: Seminar on Multi-Culturalism and Politics of Representation, jointly organised by the University Grants Commission Academic Staff College and the Department of Philosophy, University of Lucknow, India
2008, January 28: Limmud - A community Day of Learning, Agency for Jewish Education, La Jolla, California, U.S.A.
2007, October 27: Midwest Jewish Studies Association 19th Annual Conference, Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
2005, August 30: International Seminar on Indo-Japan Socio-Economic and Cultural Relations, organised by the Hindi-Urdu Sahitya Award Committee in Lucknow, India
2005, March 19-20: National Seminar on India's Development Concerns, organised by the Institute for Applied Research and Development, Lucknow, India
Major Publication
2006, The Indian Jewry and the Self-Professed 'Lost Tribes of Israel' in India, The Bene Israel Heritage Museum and Genealogical Research Centre, Mumbai [e-book/CD-Rom]
"Believed to be the first book to combine the study of the Lost Tribes of Israel in India with that of the Indian Jews, and a rare major work by a non-Jew on the subject of the Lost Tribes of Israel." - The Jerusalem Post (Online Edition), December 17, 2006
Forthcoming Monographs
One each in Hindi and Urdu on Indo-Judaic Studies
Articles and Papers
2009
"Traditions of Israelite Descent Among Certain Muslim Groups in South Asia", Shofar (Purdue University's Jewish Studies journal), Vol. 28, No. 1
2008
"Indian scholar barnstormed U.S. trying to establish Jewish Studies in India", San Diego Jewish World, Volume 2, Number 290, December 7
"A Non-Jew dreams of bringing Jewish Studies to India", Kulanu, Vol. 15, No. 3, Autumn
"Medieval Persian References to the Israelite Origin of Afridi Pashtuns/Pathans", Israel e News, August 29
"An Indian Jewish POW in Pakistan", Arutz Sheva, July 23, and Israel e News, August 4
2007
"Indians with Biblical Roots," Desi Critics, Think Israel and Israel e-News
2006
"The Jewish Interest in the Afridi Pathans of Malihabad," Azad Academy Journal XXII, 5
"The Afridi Pathans," Azad Academy Journal XXII, 4
"Navras," Azad Academy Journal XXII, 1
2005
"Majestic Malihabad: A Land of Legends," Azad Academy Journal XXI, 8
"Jews in Lucknow," Azad Academy Journal XXI, 6
2004
"The Role of Afridi Pathans in India's Struggle for Freedom," Azad Academy Journal XX, 7
"India's Esther David: A Sculptor, Painter and Writer," Imkan I, 4: June [Urdu]
"A Travelogue of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) highlighting the metro's Jewish facet," Imkan III, 3: May [Urdu]
"A Muslim Urdu Poet's Search for His Jewish Actor Mother," Imkan III, 2:1 March-April [Urdu]
"Jews in Indian Cinema," Imkan III, 1: January-February [Urdu]
2003
"India's Jewish Literature," Imkan I, 11: November [Urdu]
Translation of Etgar Keret's short-story "Breaking the Pig," Imkan II, 10: October [Urdu]
"Shalom Lucknow! Tracing Lucknow's Jewish Connection," Lucknow Times, The Times of India, September 10
"An Overview of Modern Hebrew Literature," Imkan II, 9: September [Urdu]
"Nissim Ezekiel: Father of India's Modern English Poetry," Imkan II, 8: August [Urdu]
"The Role of Afridi Pathans in India's Strugle for Freedom," Imkan II, 7: July [Urdu]
"Sarmad: The Jewish Sufi," Azad Academy Journal XIX, 5
"First Muslim President of India Dr. Zakir Husain's Jewish Girlfriend," Imkan II, 4: April [Urdu]
"Malihabad: An Oasis of Poets," Azad Academy Journal XIX, 3
"The Putative Israelite Background of the Great Urdu Poet Josh Malihabadi," Imkan II, 2: February [Urdu]
2002
"Malihabad's Israeli Connection," Lucknow Times, The Times of India, November 14
1995
"Denmark," Manas Mail, July 7-13 [Hindi]
"Iran," Manas Mail, July 17-23 [Hindi]
"I Dream of United India (Parts I, II and III)," Society for Applied Creativity (SAC) Newsletter, April, May and June respectively
1994
"A Glimpse of Kuwait," Jamshed Times, December 3-9 [Hindi]
"Navras: My Namesake," Jamshed Times, October 31 - November 6 [Hindi]
"War: A Catastrophe," Jamshed Times, October 29 - November 4 [Hindi]
The Idea of India's Reunification," Jamshed Times, October 22 -29 [Hindi]
Forthcoming Papers
"Claimants of Israelite Descent in India", Sebastian Bauer and Moshe Kastiel, eds., Noachides: A Global Perspective, Jerusalem, 2010
Forewords to the Hindi and Urdu editions of Aryeh Gallin, Cracking the Qur'an Code - Ishmael: G-d's Land, Torah and People covenants with Israel in the Qur'an and Islamic Tradition, Root & Branch Association Ltd., Jerusalem, 2010
"Thoughts on the work of Dr. Asher Eder and Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi", Aryeh Gallin, Cracking the Qur'an Code - Ishmael: G-d's Land, Torah and People covenants with Israel in the Qur'an and Islamic Tradition, Root & Branch Association Ltd., Jerusalem, 2010
Lectures Given
2008
September 30: "Jews and Judaism in indian Politics and Discourse", Seminar on Multiculturalism and Politics of Representation, jointly organised by the University Grants Commission Academic Staff College and the Department of Philosophy, University of Lucknow, India
June 12: "An Intoduction to Indo-Judaica", Academy of Mass Communication, Lucknow, India
January 27: "Jewish Contributions to Indian Cinema", Limmud - A Community Day of Learning, Agency for Jewish Education, San Diego, California, USA
January 26: "Hidden Jews of Pashtun India", Valley Beth Shalom, Encino, California, USA
2007
December 15: "Jews, Judaising Movements and the Non-Jewish Claimants of Israelite Descent in India", Mickve Israel, Savannah, Georgia, USA
December 14: "The Theory of the Israelite Origin of Afridi Pashtuns/Pathans", Mickve Israel, Savannah, Georgia, USA
October 21: "Traditions of Israelite Descent Among Certain Muslim Groups in India", The MIdwest Jewish Studies Association 19th Annual Conference in Evanston, Illinois, USA
June 18: "Jewish-Muslim Relations in India", The Israel Center (Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center), Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Root & Branch Association, Israel
March 22: "A Cultural Profile of Indian Jews", Department of East Asian Studies, Haifa University, Israel
February 22: "Jewish Contributions to Indian Culture", The Israel Center (Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center), Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Root & Branch Association, Israel
December 20: "The Putative Israelite Origin of Afridi Pathans", The Israel Center (Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center), Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Root & Branch Association, Israel
November 26: "Jews in Indian Culture", The Graduate School of Historical Studies, Tel Aviv University, Israel
October 10: "The Muslim Claimants of Israelite Descent in India", Maulana Azad Memorial Academy, Lucknow, India
Stories on Doctoral Research
English
2010
Rory McCarthy, "Pashtun clue to lost tribes of Israel", The Guardian, January 17
Haaretz Service, "Could the Taliban be genetically linked to the Jews", Haaretz, January 14
Simon McGregor-Wood, "Israelis and Taliban Separated at Birth", ABC News, January 12
Dean Nelson, "Taliban may be descended from Jews", Telegraph, January 11
Sachin Parashar, "Lucknow Pathans have Jewish Roots", The Times of India, New Delhi, January 11
Amir Mizroch, "Are Taliban descendants of Israelites?", The Jerusalem Post, January 9
2009
Ashish Tripathi, "Gene Travel: To Maihabad via Israel?", The Times of India, November 5
"Oral Traditions" in the entry titled "Pashtun people" in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 27 May
Puja Awasthi, "Lost and Found?", The Sunday Indian, 4-10 May
Vidya Pandit, "Roots Researcher", Education World, February
2008
Times News Network, "A Biblical Connection", The Times of India, Lucknow, March 11
2007
Agniva Banerjee, "When a Pathan is called a Jew", Sunday Times of India, May 20
Swaraj Chauhan, "Can Afghanisan be Controlled? Another View!", The Moderate Voice, April
Alexander Maistrovoy, "Pashtun tribe in India may be one of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel", Arutz Sheva, IsraPundit, April 10, JewishIndy, April 16, Frontline Israel, Middle East Facts, Annaqed and The United Jerusalem Foundation
January 5: Kloner, Rabbi William, The Truth, Vol. XCV, No. 2787
2006
Alcibiades, "Are the Pathans Descended from the Tribe of Ephraim?" Kesher Talk
Barry Segal, "Researcher claims proof of Lost Tribes in India", Jerusalem News Network, November 22
Farzand Ahmad, "Is it the Lost Tribe of Israel", India Today, November 6
2005
Times News Network, "Tracing Jewish Links in Malihabad", The Times of India, August 10
2002
Agniva Banerjee, "In Pursuit of the Lost World...", Lucknow Times, The Times of India, November 15
HT Correspondent, "Linking Jews to Afridi Pathans", Hindustan Times, November 14
Russian
2007
Agniva Banerjee, translated by Alexander Levites, " Когда Патан позвал еврея", 7kanal.com, 18 Июля, Blogs. Mail. Ru, Rusamny, Novasich
Alexander Maistrovoy, "Александр Майстровой, Новости недели", Novosty Nedely, March 15-21
Dutch
2007
"Islamitische stam in werkelijkheid Joods?", AMI Jeruzalem Bijbel Centrum Nieuws, February, 32ste jaargang, nr. 2
Slovak
2007
Miroslav Ilias, "Najdeny d'alsi strateny kmen Izraela?", SME blog, January 8
French
2010
Yael Ancri, "Les Talibans sont-ils issus d'lune des tribus perdues?", ACTU.CO.IL, February 5
Marie-France Calle, "Et si les talibans etaient juifs?", Namaste! Salam!, January 26
"Les Talibans sont-ils issus de l'une des tribus perdues?", Lessakele, January 19
2007
Finnish
2006
"Yksi Kaddonnut Israelin Sukukunta", Israel Update, November 15
Hebrew
2007
חנן בלכמן
המוצא הקרוב לודאי של האפרידים הפתאנים במליהבאד משבטי ישראל
Spanish
2010
"Israel busca una de sus tribus perdidas en Afghanistan", RT.com, January 15
Romanian
2010
"Pastunii, principalul grup Taliban, ar putea fi descendenti ai evrielor, HotNews.ro, January 13
Turkish
"Israil Taliban'in kokenini arastiriyor", Firat News Agency, Ocak 15
Bahasa Indonesia
2009
"Inikah Suku Israel yang Hilang?", Unseen Hand, April 4
Hindi
2006
Farzand Ahmad, "Aam hi nahin, Afridi bhi", India Today, October 18
Aparajita Shrivastav, "Talaash Apni Jadon ki", City, Hindustan, April 24
2003
Yogesh Mishra, "Bulaavaa Aa raha hai Israel se", Outlook, November 10
Urdu
2010
Tariq Khan, "Kyaa Taliban Yahudi Hain?",
- Sunday Times Canada, Canada, January 28 - February 3
- Pakistan Times Online, Canada, January 29
2007
Hasan Kamaal, "Chai ki Pyaali mein Toofaan uthaane ki Bachkaana Koshish", Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, May 26
2003
"Malihabadi Pathanon ko Israel aane ki daavat", Nai Duniya, November 13-19
Radio Interviews
2010
February 9: 7-8 a.m. (Israel Time) - Interviewed by Tamar Yonah on her show on the Israel National Radio
2007
November 6: 9-10 p.m. (Eastern Time) - Interviewed by Zev Brenner for the programme "Talkline with Zev Brenner" (America's leading Jewish programme, Live Call in with Newsmaker guests and celebrities making headlines in the Jewish world), for the channel Talkline Communications Network
TV Interviews
ETV Urdu, Sahara Samay Rashtriya and Star News. The one on Star News, which was broadcast on 18th January, 2010, can be seen online.
