The Paradesi Synagogue,
Cochin, India
The magnificent synagogue is named after the
Paradesi (meaning “foreigners”) who are the “White
Jews”: a mixture of Jewish exiles from Spain and Portugal.
It is the oldest synagogue built in the former
British Empire and the only synagogue in use today out of the seven
synagogues built in the “Jew Town”.
In 1568, the Rajah of Cochin, Paraja, gave a piece
of land to the Jewish community next to his palace to build the synagogue.
The synagogue houses 1600 year-old copper plates on which the community
charter of independence and the privileges granted to the Jewish community
are inscribed. It was reconstructed in 1662, after the Portuguese
bombardment of that year.
Outside the synagogue, there are wrought-iron gates
decorated with the Magen-David. The rectangular building is white-walled and
tile-roofed, with an inner courtyard lined with ancient Hebrew-inscribed
gravestones. The Jewish merchant and diplomat Ezekiel Rahabi added a
Dutch-style square clock tower with four clocks featuring four different
numerals: Hebrew numerals facing the synagogue, Roman numerals facing the
palace, Malayalam (Indian) numerals facing the harbor and Arabic numerals
facing the public. At the bottom of the tower there is a well and inside the
tower hangs the pendulum. Ezekiel Rahabi’s grave is located in the courtyard
of the synagogue.
Hundreds of old hand-painted porcelain tiles
brought from China pave the floor, no two of which are identical. The
synagogue keeps a rich collection of items: gold and silver decorated
Torah-scrolls crowned with solid gold and set with gems given as gifts
by the rajahs, an oriental carpet in front of the ark given as a gift by the
Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, and two brass columns symbolizing the
pillars of the Temple. In addition there is a collection of 10 paintings
depicting the history of the Jews in the area.
There are two bimot, one in the women’s gallery, a feature unique to the local Jews,
and the other at the center of the prayer hall. From the ceiling hang
amazing brass and glass oil-burning lamps in keeping with Hindu tradition,
and crystal chandeliers.
In 1968 the synagogue celebrated its 400th
anniversary. Prime Minister Indira Ghandi attended the festivities and the
Indian government issued a commemorative postage stamp for the occasion.
The Havdalah (Sabbath’s close) is symbolized by the sniffing of
Hardala flowers.
The synagogue is open to the public throughout the week. On days
other than holidays visitors are asked to remove their shoes.
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