Preserving Jewish Heritage in Kochi’s Jew Town
In Kochi, India, at the edge of its historic Jew Town neighborhood, Keith Hallegua greets each Shavuot alone. This Jewish holiday marks the day God gave the Torah to Moses. Hallegua walks to the 458-year-old Paradesi Synagogue, knowing he will pray without the needed quorum of ten males. He is the synagogue’s last local adherent.
Across town, at the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Elias “Babu” Josephai remembers Shavuot traditions like his grandmother’s “chukkunda,” fried dough balls. Tears fill his eyes when he recalls these times. Both men strive to preserve a fading legacy.
During the 1950s, much of Kochi’s Jewish community immigrated to Israel, leaving behind homes and synagogues. Now, fewer than 5,000 Jews remain across India. Hallegua and Josephai represent the final chapter of Cochin Jews, a community that thrived peacefully amongst Hindus, Muslims, and Christians.
Complex Heritage and Identity
Cochin Jews boast a complicated history, marked by both religious freedom and internal divisions. Hallegua descends from Paradesi Jews, whose Sephardic ancestors fled the Inquisition in the 16th century. Having arrived with enslaved people, their descendants, Meshuchrarim Jews, endured lower social status.
Josephai identifies as a Malabari Jew, tracing roots back over 2,000 years to King Solomon’s era. Although discriminatory divisions lessened over time, they still echo in the community’s legacy. Despite rarely meeting, both men take pride in their ancient heritage.
Josephai has spent years restoring the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, maintaining its spirit through prayer and lighting lamps often by himself. Hallegua, too, keeps the Paradesi Synagogue running, usually welcoming tourists to seek a quorum for services.
Local and Global Efforts
Tourists frequently visit the Paradesi Synagogue, with its porcelain tiles and crystal chandeliers. Synagogue trustee M.C. Praveen, a Hindu, grew up in Jew Town and now works to preserve Cochin Jewish history. He maintains ties with community members across the globe and aspires to ensure future generations remember the local heritage.
Shulamit Kotzer, a trustee born in Jew Town now residing in Israel, shares this sentiment. She envisions opening a hotel in the area, considering Kochi her primary home. Earlier this year, synagogue leaders inaugurated a museum curating Kochi’s Jewish history, featuring a 1000 CE charter granting religious freedom.
Preserving Cultural Connections
Non-Jews also play a role in preserving the community. Thaha Ibrahim, a Muslim, runs an embroidery shop once owned by Sarah Cohen, a Jewish matriarch. He continues the Cochin Jewish embroidery tradition she taught him, even practicing Shabbat customs.
In Ernakulam, Josephai has taken steps to preserve Malabari Jewish heritage by renovating the Kadavumbagam Synagogue. A Muslim donated lamps, a Christian provided a Ten Commandments plaque, and a Hindu foundation funded chandeliers for the restoration.
Josephai hopes a Jewish organization will eventually take over the synagogue. He keeps the flame burning in its lamps, honoring a promise to his grandmother. While he values the global Jewish aspiration to end life in Israel, for him, it’s within this synagogue that he wishes to breathe his last.
In Vienna, Thapan Dubayehudi, a Malabari Jew, admires Josephai’s efforts as a “one-man army.” He remembers helping Josephai with Hanukkah lamps, a memory he cherishes.
A Strong Identity
Keith Hallegua also stayed behind due to family responsibilities. Memories of Jewish traditions fill his days, from unique Sephardic tunes to festive cooking. Despite feeling tethered to these memories, Hallegua ties his identity and legacy to his homeland, declaring, “I was born a Jew in India and I shall die in India, a Jew.”