I was in Kerala following an epic tour around north-west India, hoping to meet up with Keith and take a deeper dive into the history of Kerala’s once-proud and hugely influential Jewish community. Little did I know how that this unexpected Friday night service would turn out to be a perfect finale to a quite extraordinary visit.
Kerala, a coastal strip in India’s south-west, is a complete contrast to India’s bustling and chaotic northern states. Sheltered by the Western Ghats mountains, it’s hot and humid with a dense tropical landscape and a labyrinth of natural waterways called backwaters. No wonder its name translates as “land of coconuts”, the ingredient that influences so much of its cuisine. The official language is Malayalam and while women still wear saris, the men wear traditional white dhotis – a single length of cotton wrapped around their waist and legs.
Entrance to the Jewish cemetery in Kochi[Missing Credit]
It is likely the first Jews landed at the port city of Cranganore on the Malabar coast of Muziris, now Kerala, in the first century of the Common Era, fleeing from the destruction of the Second Temple. They were accomplished traders and were warmly welcomed by the region’s rajah and granted land and autonomy in the form of official royal copper-plated charters. Here they learnt to speak Judeo-Malayalam – and this is still spoken by the Malabar community who emigrated to Israel in the 1950s.
Their Middle Eastern looks with roots purporting to date back to the time of Solomon earned them the nickname of Malabar “black” Jews, while during the 16th century, the emergence of Sephardi European Jews from Spain and Portugal were deemed to be “white”. Nowadays they’re likely to be called “brown” – referring to the eventual union of the groups over generations.
They lived here independently for centuries, co-existing with their Hindu neighbours and enjoying a prosperous and peaceful life until Cranganore was destroyed by Portuguese invaders in 1523. The surviving Jews fled just 20 miles further up the coast to Kerala’s capital Kochi, also known as Cochin, and settled there.
Cranganore is still considered to be the spiritual home of the Indian Jewish diaspora and the handful of synagogue buildings that remain here, such as Paravur, Chendamangalam and Mala, are are no longer active but wonderful places to explore.
I found fascinating examples of those original copper charters on display at the Paravur Synagogue, now a Jewish history museum maintained by the Keralan Department of Tourism. Originally built in 1164 and rebuilt in 1616, it’s a stunning white-walled building and the largest of all the synagogues in Kerala.
The Paravur Synagogue in Cranganore[Missing Credit]
You get to the main prayer hall through a strikingly pillared walkway and, once inside, the bimahs and ark are constructed with impressively carved wood. I say bimahs because there are two. The women’s section upstairs on the balcony floor has its own. Panels around the walls document the history of the Jewish community, while the outside space seems to be tenderly kept by local gardeners.
The Ark at Chendamangalam Synagogue [Missing Credit]
Tucked away in another leafy corner of Ernakulam is the restored 15th- century Chendamangalam Synagogue, which is now the Kerala Jewish Lifestyle Museum, run and financed by the Muziris Heritage Project and supported by Unesco.
This shul is unusual because it once shared its location with a nearby Hindu temple, a mosque and a Syrian Christian church.
Inside Chendamangalam are fascinating photos of family members of the once-thriving community. There’s one in particular that moved me; a colour photo of children in front of the shul who were attending Hebrew lessons in the classroom upstairs.
The main prayer hall has been stunningly renovated with a tiled floor, an impressive ornate ceiling and a simply spectacular teak wood ark. Once again there are two bimahs, both made from intricately carved wood, as is the spiral staircase leading up to the women’s balcony.
Outside there are some gravestone fragments by a wall, but pride of place goes to Sarah Bat Israel’s gravestone, dated 1269, which you’ll find near the entrance.
Chendamangalem gravestones[Missing Credit]
Kochi, Kerala’s capital, reflects its importance as a major historic port city absorbing influences from its many historical communities, including the Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British. After fleeing Cranganore the Jews settled in the Mattancherry suburb of Kochi, which was later renamed Jew Town. There they enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the local Maharajah, Rama Varma.
The Paradesi Shul's art gallery receives a visitor[Missing Credit]
In 1568, Varma granted land for the Paradesi Synagogue to be built directly adjacent to his Mattancherry Palace Temple, or Dutch Palace as it is called today, and presented it with hand-painted tiles from China, crafted ornate chandeliers and woodwork. It has since commemorated 400 and 450-year anniversaries and been visited by a host of royals and dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and Gandhi. There is also an excellent art gallery inside chronicling the history of the Kerala Jews.
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Keith listens to the visiting rabbi at the Paradesi Synagogue[Missing Credit]
Quite a storied past then, and one that was running through my head as I sat next to Keith on that Friday night as we waited for the service to start.
“I was born here in Cochin, but my family came here from Spain,” he told me. I asked him about his relatives. “I had a brother, but he left for Israel and is no longer alive, but I wanted to stay here and look after my mother.”
“How often do you come here, Keith?” I asked.
“I always come here every Friday and Saturday to see if there is a chance of a service. Tonight is very unusual.”
At that point, the debating had stopped, the rabbis agreed to share service duties and in no time the shul was filled with prayer and song. I swear I could feel the old place smiling.
True to form, at the end, Keith slipped out into the night unnoticed. I hope we meet again one day.
Andy Mossack stayed at the Kerala Indian Summer House and Cranganor History Café & Riverside Château
His trip to India was curated by Experience Travel Group.
Air India is the largest carrier between India and the UK with direct flights to Kochi
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Keith Hallegua[Missing Credit]
