Abraham Barak Salem

Abraham Barak Salem
Born
Jewish Gandhi, Salem Kocha

1882
Died1967 (aged 85 years)
Burial placeParadesi Cemetery, Jew Town, Kochi
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndia
EducationMaharaja's College, Ernakulam
Alma materPresidency College Madras, Chennai
Occupation(s)Lawyer
Politician
Known forAdvocate, Municipal Chairman, Mattancherry,

Member of Legislative council, Cochin.

Executive Committee member of The Peoples of the Indian States Conference

Delegate to the Indian National Congress session at Lahore (1929)

First Labour Leader in Cochin.

Founder of Indo-Palestine Co.

Visited Palestine & Israel as the representative of the Cochin Jewish Community to fight for Aliya.

Vice-president of Malabar Jews association (1932-47).

Secretary of Cochin Zionist Association.
Notable workThe Eternal Light (1929)
SpouseRuth Salem
ChildrenMalkah Salem

Mino Salem

Balpher Salem

Raymond Salem

Gamliel Salem
Parents
  • Barrak Salem (father)
  • Belukka Salem (mother)
RelativesAvraham Salem (Grandfather)

Itzhak Salem (Cousin)

Japeth Salem
FamilySalem

Abraham ben Barak Salem (1882 – 1967) was an Indian nationalist and Zionist,[1] a lawyer and politician, and one of the most prominent Cochin Jews of the twentieth century. Popularly known by his epithet of "Jewish Gandhi", he was known as "Salem Kocha" to the resident Jewish community of Cochin. A descendant of Meshuchrarim,[2] he was the first Cochin Jew to become an attorney. He practised in Ernakulam, where he eventually used Satyagraha to fight the discrimination among Paradesi Jews against Malabari Jews. An activist in the trade union and Indian national causes, he later was attracted to Zionism. After visiting Palestine in the 1930s, he later helped arrange the migration of most Cochin Jews to Israel by 1955. He stayed in Kochi for the remainder of his life.

  1. ^ Panel 39: Nationalisms and their Impact in South Asia[permanent dead link] - European Association of South Asian Studies
  2. ^ K, Dr Laju Paul (10 September 2011). "Jewish Monuments of Kerala: Abraham Barak Salem (1882-1967)-the Jewish Gandhi of India". Jewish Monuments of Kerala. Retrieved 24 November 2022.