A moment in history

German President Dr Horst Köhler and wife Eva at the Kenneth Eliyahoo Synagogue on Friday. It was not only his first official visit to Mumbai but also the first by a German head of state to a Jewish synagogue in India and historically a landmark moment for the Indian Jew community. Dr Kohler also lit a candle under the synagogue’s Ark and met all community members personally. “He really appreciated being invited to the synagogue. The President and his wife met everybody present individually,” said a spokesperson on behalf of Solomon Sopher,president of the Baghdadi Jewish community in Mumbai. Dr Kohler also visited the RBI where he held discussions with RBI governor D Subbarao on India’s experience with the fallout of the global financial crisis.