Jerusha Jhirad

Born: 21 March 1891

Died: 2 June 1984

• She was a member of the Bene Israel Jewish community.
• She was the first woman to be granted a scholarship by the Indian government to study abroad.
• She was medical officer-in-charge of Cama Hospital in Mumbai.
• She was also a pioneer of Progressive Judaism; after attending mixed-gender prayers at the Jewish Religious Union,
• she returned to Mumbai and founded a JRU-affiliated congregation among the Bene Israel with her sister Leah in 1925.
• In 1966, she was awarded the Padma Shri.
• The Venusian crater was named after her.

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