Dr. Lipika Pelham, whose research explores the history of Baghdadi Jewish communities in India, will examine an intriguing chapter of this diaspora story. Drawing from her ongoing project “From Babylon to Kolkata: Jews of the Near East United by Exile,” this lecture will shed light on how Jewish women from Iraq became part of the cultural fabric of Indian cinema.
Pelham’s interdisciplinary approach, combining her background as a BBC journalist covering the Middle East with her scholarly expertise on Jewish diaspora communities, offers unique insights into the intersection of migration, performance, and identity formation. Her research examines how Baghdadi Jews navigated between multiple cultural identities in India, maintaining their Judeo-Arabic heritage while engaging with broader Indian society.
