Jews who lived in Kerala but left for Israel ensure their heritage lives on

The Jews of Cochin emigrated to Israel in the 1950s after having lived and thrived in India since ancient times. A few decades after arriving in Isreal, they built a synagogue and museum in the settlement of Nevatim. Other communities of Indian Jews in Israel — the Bene Israel and Baghdadi Jews — are also keen to showcase their heritage and are currently in conversation to expand the museum in Nevatim. 

The Malayalam-speaking, or Malabari Jews, of Cochin claim to have fled the Roman invasion and destruction of the Second Temple. The local Maharaja received them when they docked in Shingly in 72 AD and established a Jewish principality for many centuries. In the 15th century they moved to Cranganore where they were under the protection of the Hindu Raja.

The neighbourhood in which they lived in Cochin, popularly known as Jew Town, has the famed Chinese blue and white tiled “Paradesi Synagogue” that was built in 1568 by Spanish-speaking Jews who sought refuge there. The Paradesi Synagogue houses the copperplates given to the Malabari Jews by the Raja who granted them certain privileges around the 10th century. Cochini Jews, Malabari and Paradesi (of West Asian and European descent) also lived in the towns of Perur, Chendamangalam and Mattancherry. The Jews of Kerala were always a small community, never numbering more than 2,400 (as of 1947).

The Jewish agency was successful in its efforts to have the majority of Cochini Jews immigrate to Israel between 1953 and 1955.  They were settled by the Israeli government in “development towns” — moshavs — that were far from the fertile agricultural lands of Tel Aviv. In these farms each family owns its home and a share of the settlement’s property. Family members look after their assets and the produce is marketed through cooperative institutions. The moshav is managed by an elected council.

The upper gallery

Many of the Malabari Jews were settled in moshavs in the Northern Negev, a desert area. Iraqi, as well as European Jews from Yugoslavia and Hungary, unsuccessfully tried to cultivate Nevatim. The Cochinis, who were mostly merchants and peddlers, founded Moshav Nevatim (collective farm) in 1954.  With determination and courage they were successful in establishing this agricultural settlement. Through innovative agricultural experiments they developed a highly profitable enterprise in greenhouse flowers that they export to Europe. They also grow citrus fruits, apricots and pears and raise chicken for the Israeli markets. Nevatim is considered one of the more developed of the Negev settlements and families live in two- to four-bedroom homes.

Besides their hard work, what is also exceptional about the Nevatim community is that they never forgot their homeland. They built a beautiful synagogue in 1975 and a museum in 1984 that tells of their lives in Kerala. They sent architects to Kerala to visit their various synagogues to design a traditional Malabari synagogue in Nevatim. Ten Torah scrolls also came from Cochin.

The small but splendid two-storeyed red, blue and silver synagogue has a traditional carved wood ceiling that is white and gold in a geometrical design. The Torah ark on the Western wall faces the entrance. It is emblazoned with silver and intricate wood floral carvings painted in red and gold. The central raised platform (bima) is made of polished brass. The many electric lights resemble the oil lamps they left behind. The red walls of the synagogue are decorated with silver ritual items; a large brass menorah stands in one corner. The colours and ritual items make the synagogue look like a studded gem.

Ritual lamps on display at the museum

Adjacent to the synagogue is the museum where members have painstakingly collected the items they brought with them to Israel.  On display are the cooking vessels and implements they used, the daily, festive and ritual clothing, ritual items, and many photos of life in Kerala. The customs and traditions associated with Jewish life cycles are explained in both Hebrew and English. For example, a poster describes the dress that men wore to the synagogue: Young men wore “...long chamisas, wide white pants (kakuppayam) and colourful vests with metal buttons occasionally decorated with gold thread embroidery (satariya)”. 

The synagogue and museum at Nevatim are a wonderful tribute to the culture and heritage of the Malabari Jews. As Indian Jews, including the Jews of Cochin, are increasingly intermarrying with Jews from other backgrounds, an expanded centre to celebrate Indian Jewish heritage is important for the younger generation to know their past. The vision for the Heritage Centre at Nevatim includes a spiritual complex, a cultural complex as well as an events centre. They plan to grow Indian flora and fauna on the grounds. They are reaching out to government and private donors for this endeavour. It is critical that India — the only place in the world where Jews never faced anti-Semitism — and the Indian Jewish experience is better known by Israelis.