Paradesi Synagogue

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The Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi

The Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, located in Kochi, Kerala, in South India. It was built in the year 1568 by the Malabar Yehudan people or Cochin Jewish community in the Kingdom of Cochin. Paradesi is a word used in several Indian languages, and its literal meaning is a "foreigner". Accordingly, the Paradesi Synagogue literally means a synagogue of foreigners. It is also referred to as the Cochin Jewish synagogue or the Mattancherry synagogue. The synagogue is in what is known as Jew Street, in Jew Town, in Old Cochin. The complex has four buildings. It was built adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple on the land gifted to the Malabari Yehuden community by the king of Kochi, Rama Varma. In fact, the Mattancherry Palace temple and the Mattancherry synagogue have a common wall.

1 Early history
2 Social composition
3 Objects of antiquity
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Early history

Hebrew inscription at the Mattancherry synagogue

The Malabari Jews formed a prosperous trading community of Kerala, and they controlled a major portion of world wide spice trade. In 1568, the Jews of Kerala constructed the Paradesi Synagogue adjacent to Mattancherry Palace, Cochin, now part of the Indian city of Ernakulam. The original synagogue was built in the 4th century in Kodungallur (Cranganore) when the Jews had a mercantile role in the South Indian region along the Malabar coast now called Kerala. It was later moved to Kochi from Kodungallur.

The first synagogue made by the Malabari Jews in Cochin was destroyed in the Portuguese persecution of the Malabari Jews and Nasrani people of Kerala in the 1500s. The second synagogue, built under the protection of the King of Kochi along with Dutch patronage, is the present synagogue. It is called Paradesi synagogue because it was built with Dutch patronage at a time when Kochi was under Dutch occupation, thus the name paradesi synagogue or "foreign synagogue".

[edit] Social composition

The Paradesi Synagogue had three classes of members, all of whom together constitute the Malabar Yehudan or Cochin Jews.

White Jews, belonging to higher class of professionals and merchants, were full members.
Black Jews, consisting of traders and craftsmen, were allowed to pray but were not admitted to full membership.
Meshuhrarims sat on the floor or on the steps outside.

As is normal for Orthodox Jewish synagogues, the Paradesi Synagogue has separate seating sections for men and women.

The Paradesi Synagogue is the only functioning synagogue in Cochin today with a minyan. In conformity with the Hindu traditions of Kerala, the worshippers are required to enter the Paradesi Synagogue barefoot.

[edit] Objects of antiquity

The Paradesi Synagogue has the Scrolls of the Law, several gold crowns received as gifts, beautiful chandeliers, and a brass-railed pulpit. It houses the copper plates of privileges given to the earliest Malabar Jewish people over 2000 years ago, by the ruler of the Malabar Coast.

A tablet from the earlier synagogue in Kochangadi in Kochi (built in 1344) is placed on the outerwall of the Mattancherry synagogue. The inscription states that the structure was built in the year 5105 (in Jewish tradition) as a holy abode for the spirit of God the eternal, and would be honoured.