Category Archives: Law, Politics & Military

Jews in the World of Law and Politics

Jew of the Week: J.F.R. Jacob

Jacob during the 1971 peace treaty signing

Jacob Farj Rafael Jacob (1923-2016) was born in Calcutta, India to a wealthy, religious Iraqi-Jewish family. Growing up, he had private Hebrew tutors before being sent to study at a prestigious boarding school. In 1941, Jacob heard reports of what was happening to Europe’s Jews, and decided to enlist in the Indian Army (then still under British command) to help the war effort. After graduating from officer’s training he was posted in Iraq to fend off an impending Nazi invasion. When the invasion was averted, Jacob’s unit was posted in North Africa, then transferred to Burma to fight the Japanese. Following the war, Jacob continued his military career and traveled to England to train at an advanced artillery school. In 1947, India achieved its independence, and Jacob returned to serve in its new army. By 1963, he had the rank of Brigadier, and two years later commanded the 12 Infantry Division in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Using his experiences in this war, Jacob produced a training manual on desert warfare for the Indian Army. By the end of the 1960’s, Jacob was a Major General and Chief of Staff. In 1971, the Pakistani army suppressed a Bengali rebellion in its eastern territories, massacring as many as three million people. Jacob devised a military plan to put an end to the conflict, and commanded the invasion that defeated the Pakistanis. He personally flew to Dhaka to meet the Pakistani general Niazi, and bluffed him into surrendering his 93,000 troops, thus saving a bloody battle that would have likely taken countless lives. Jacob became a huge war hero and a household name across India and the newly-formed independent state of Bangladesh. He continued to serve in the Indian Army until 1978, and retired following 37 years of service. Jacob joined a political party and ultimately became governor of Goa and then Punjab. As governor, he focused on taking care of the poor, and saving the beloved forests from mining companies. His work also helped to formalize and improve relations between India and Israel, and paved the way for Indian-Israeli military cooperation. He visited Israel on several occasions, and even contributed family heirlooms to multiple Israeli museums. Sadly, Jacob passed away last week. His funeral at New Delhi’s Jewish cemetery was attended by top military and political figures. Jacob devoted his entire life to India, and died a single man, having never married or built a family. Click here to read more about his incredible life.

Words of the Week

The only place I encountered anti-Semitism was from the British in their army. Among Indians it does not exist.
– Lt. Gen. J.F.R. Jacob

Jew of the Week: Janet Rosenberg Jagan

President of Guyana

Janet Rosenberg Jagan

Janet Rosenberg (1920-2009) was born in Chicago, the granddaughter of Jewish immigrants from Romania and Hungary. As a young nursing student she met a Guyanese dentist, Cheddi Jagan. The two got married less than a year later, and moved to Guyana, where Rosenberg worked as a nurse in her husband’s dental clinic. Meanwhile, the couple joined the British Guianese Labor Union and were very active in the political scene. Rosenberg founded Guyana’s Women’s Political and Economic Organization, and its Political Affairs Committee. Shortly after, she and her husband co-founded the Marxist-Leninist People’s Progressive Party (PPP), with Janet serving as its General Secretary. Soon, she was elected to the City Council of Guyana’s capital, Georgetown. From there, she moved up to the House of Assembly, and was appointed Deputy Speaker. However, for vocally opposing British colonial rule over Guyana, the Jagans were both jailed for 5 months, then kept under house arrest for another 2 years. After finally being freed, Rosenberg won back her seat in the Assembly and was appointed Minister of Labour, Health and Housing. In 1973, she was elected to the national parliament, and was re-elected three more times, making her the longest serving parliamentarian in the country’s history. In 1992, her husband became Guyana’s president, and after he passed away in 1997, Janet became the country’s prime minister and vice president. She won the national elections later that year and became president herself, making her just the third woman (and coincidentally, the third Jew) to head a nation in the Western Hemisphere. At age 79, the popular Rosenberg resigned her post due to health problems. She continued to serve in the government, and was still on the PPP’s Central Committee until shortly before her passing, at age 88. Aside from government, Rosenberg worked hard to expand the Guyanese literary world, and to make books available for Guyana’s children. She wrote several of her own books, and was the editor of the PPP’s newspaper for over 20 years. Rosenberg received Guyana’s highest honour, the Order of Excellence, along with a UNESCO award for her efforts on behalf of women’s rights.

Words of the Week

Greater is hospitality to wayfarers than receiving the Divine Presence.
– Talmud, Shevuot 35b

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