Starting in the second half of the 18th century,[12] after they were taught about normative Sephardi Judaism,[13][14] they migrated from villages in the Konkan region[15][12] where they had previously lived[16] to nearby cities throughout British India—primarily to Mumbai[11] where their first synagogue opened in 1796[12][17][18] but also to Pune, Ahmedabad, and Karachi (now in Pakistan),[19] where they gained prominent positions within the British colonial government and the Indian Army.

In the early part of the 20th century, many Bene Israel became active in the Indian film industry as actresses/actors, producers, and directors.

[20] The Bene Israel community believes that their ancestors fled Judea during the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes and are descended from fourteen Jews, seven men and seven women, who came to India as the only survivors of a shipwreck[7][21] near the village of Navagaon on the coast about 20 miles (32 km) south of Mumbai.

Genetic evidence as of 2005 suggests that the Bene Israel appear to carry a haplotype which points to a Middle Eastern origin, and Jews may have formed part of the founding group.

[26] The medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides may have been referring to the Bene Israel when he wrote in a letter:[27][7] "The Jews of India know nothing of the Torah, and of the laws nothing save the Sabbath and circumcision.

"[28] At a point in history which is uncertain, an Indian Jew from Cochin named David Rahabi discovered the Bene Israel in their villages and recognized their vestigial Jewish customs.

[36] Mumbai and surrounding regions like Raigad houses several synagogues, most of which belong to the Bene Israel community.

[38][39] In the early twentieth century, numerous Bene Israel became leaders in the new film industry in India.

[41] Given the relatively privileged position they had held under British colonial rule, many Bene Israel prepared to leave India at independence in 1947.

[46] Members of the Bene Israel faced discrimination from other Jewish groups, including due to their darker skin colour.

[50][51] In the case that caused the controversy, the Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel ruled that before registering a marriage between Indian Jews and Jews not belonging to that community, the registering rabbi should investigate the lineage of the Indian applicant for possible non-Jewish descent, and in case of doubt, require the applicant to perform conversion or immersion.

[52][50][51] The discrimination may actually be related to the fact that some religious authorities believed that the Bene Israel were not fully Jewish because of inter-marriage during their long separation.

The ceremony features a tray of flattened rice, grated coconut, raisins, spices, and fruit of two or more different kinds.

The Community also observes Tashlich, the ceremony of taking a ritual bath at Rosh Hashanah[clarification needed].

[53] Religiously, the Bene Israel adopted the devotional singing style Kirtan from their Marathi Hindu neighbors.