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The Jewish
Synagogue is located in what is today known as the Jew Town in the Kochi
city of Kerala. It is the only one of the seven synagogues in the area
that is still in use. The synagogue was built on a land gifted to the
Malabari Yehuden community by Raja Varma, the then, Raja of Kochi and
shares a common wall with the famous Mattancherry Palace temple.
The
Malabar Yehudan or Cochin Jews consisted of three sects of people. White
Jews were the high-class professionals and merchants and they were full
members of the Jewish Synagogue.
They were descendents of European and Middle Eastern Jews, who made
their way to India during the pre British times. Black Jews, comprising
traders and craftsmen were allowed only to pray and as such, were not
admitted to full membership.
Meshuhrarim, a group of freed slaves, had no communal rights and no
synagogues of their own. They sat on the floor or on the steps outside.
Interestingly, in conformity with the Hindu and Islamic traditions of
Kerala, the worshippers here too entered precincts of the Jewish
Synagogue barefoot.
How to
reach
After reaching Cochin, you can hire a cab, taxi, bus or auto-rickshaw to
reach here.
The nearest airport is
Cochin International Airport.
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