ABSTRACT
The label Sephardi applied to a community consisting of Jews from Baghdad clearly requires justification. The community indicated its preference for a Sephardi rather than a Baghdadi identity by describing themselves as "The Sephardi Jewish Community of Shanghai." Under the British Raj in India, identification as Sephardim with its European connotations held the key to Baghdadi Jews being classified as "European." This accorded them tangible benefits: salary scales were higher than for natives, and Europeans had more business opportunities, not least, preferential banking facilities. The Shanghai Sephardim who had British passports could travel freely because of the effective and universal protection afforded by the British. They were governed by British law and their litigation was conducted in HM Supreme Court. Baghdadi Jews believed that their prosperity was a direct result of British colonial rule and made a conscious effort to adopt the British lifestyle.
