Jews have lived in India for over 2000 years.


The Hindus, Muslims and Jews in olden times did not believe in intermarriage and so it was never encouraged or supported. This helped to keep the communities intact. Intermarriage was strictly avoided and even frowned upon by the elders of the community, even to a point of social ostracization, and this step sometimes too harsh, saved the community from extinction.
  
Indian culture has influenced Judaism in India in many ways, the same as European culture influenced the Ashkenazi Jews in Europe or the Middle Eastern culture influenced the Sephardi Jews.  This is evident in their mode of dress, language, food (types and ingredients used). Some Bene Israel families avoided eating beef out of respect to the customs of their strictly vegetarian Hindu neighbours.
 
The Bene Israel did not take part in any of the rituals and practices of other religions, and always maintained their own Jewish religious traditions as was taught to them by their ancestors.

We respected our Hindu, Christian and Muslim neighbours and they respected us. We are fortunate and grateful to not have experienced anti-Semitism in India. We were free to practice Judaism in India through the generations… and were given the freedom to participate in every facet of life in India, e.g. we were allowed to own land, we were at liberty to enter into all and any field of profession such as Indian stage and film industry, culture, politics, private industry, commerce, Indian navy, police, army, etc.