Dear Listers, This is a review of a novel 'Book of Rachel' by Esther David. The novel describes the lonely life of a Jewish woman left behind in her ancestral village after the children and everyone else leaves for Israel. The Bene Israel Jews had settled on the Konkan coast (south of Bombay) since several centuries. The community thrived in the British days, though not as much as the Parsees. After the creation of Israel, almost everyone has left for Israel, leaving only some old folks back who are trying to preserve the Jewish faith and heritage, exactly the same story as with Jews of Cochin, some of whom continue to live in the so-called 'Jewish Town' in the Spices Bazaar. This area has the oldest synagogue in India. Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, February 14, 2008.