Elias Jospehai is the caretaker of the Kadavumbhagom Synagogue, Ernakulam, and runs a plant and aquarium business, Cochin Blossoms, in the big hall outside the synagogue sanctuary. He single-handedly spearheaded a drive to renovate the synagogue, which reopened for the public in December 2018.
The following is an edited transcript of an oral interview conducted with Elias Josephai by Robin Thomas.
Robin Thomas: How did your association as the caretaker of the Kadavumbhagom Synagogue begin?
Elias Josephai: Jews came to the Malabar in 72 BC. In the book Periplus, you can see that Malabar had Jewish settlements in different parts of the region, and in the 12th century AD there was a war between the Chola Raja and the Cranganore Maharaja. Joseph Raban, who was one of the leaders of the Jewish people, joined with the Maharaja and fought against the Chola Raja. The war went on for one year, and they eventually won the war. In gratitude, the Maharaja gave him 72 square miles of land called ‘Anjuvannam’ and made him the king of Anjuvannam. It was called ‘Jerusalem of the East’. But that kingdom did not last long. Anjuvannam was attacked on the eve of Sabbath in AD 1165, it was a black day for Jews in India where nearly 40,000 people were killed and less than 1000 survived.
Their (the survivors') first asylum was Chendamangalam. Then they moved to Paravur and started a Jew town over there. Joseph Raban died in Paravur, and his sons started fighting among each other on who should be the [next] leader. A section of people went to Mala, where the Maharaja of Cochin provided the land and supplies to construct a synagogue there. The elder son, along with some people, came to Ernakulam, which was a marshy land then. When the Jews came here, they saw the potential of the area because of the inland water streams which enabled easier transport. They settled here and a Jewish settlement came up around the synagogue. The younger son pleaded with the King that a cheri (a settlement akin to a hamlet) should be given as a gift. In Hebrew, ‘gift’ is called mattana. The cheri given as mattana is now called Mattancherry. A riverside synagogue was built there in the replica of the synagogue built in Muziris, which was destroyed by the last Raja of Chera.
In 1635, during the Portuguese invasion, the Paravur Synagogue was bombarded, which was later rebuilt by the Kasthier family. You can see the foundation of the old synagogue in Paravur. It was excavated by the Archaeological Department of Kerala. The present synagogue is a 1700s structure.
In 1972, all the Jews left for Israel. After the congregation left, Kadavumbhagom Synagogue was vandalised by the local people. Everything was destroyed. So, when I took charge in 1978, it was my duty to repair the synagogue, which is a significant part of the Jewish history, [and to make sure that] the Jewish footprint would not be lost in the coming years.
If a monument stands, the world will come to know that Jewish people were here. So, this should be a monument to Jewish presence in Ernakulam, and that is why I restored it. My idea was not just to restore, but [to build] a library and a Jewish heritage museum.
R.T.: So, when the aliyah (migration to Israel) was happening, what made you decide to stay back?
E.J.: My father was about to go, but his friends who had already gone to Israel said that life was difficult there. That was one reason he stayed back. After he passed away in 1970, we planned to go to Israel again. In 1972, my brother and sister went to Israel but I stayed back because of my grandmother. What she said was that there was nobody to do the prayers and rituals at home, so she had to be here. Hence, I stayed back. In 1980, I tried again, but my mother advised that because of the synagogue I must stay here, and I did. My daughter is in Israel, my younger daughter is about to go to Israel, but I am here. This is my life now. This synagogue is part of my blood now.
R.T.: Have you had the chance to visit the synagogues of the congregations in other parts of India?
E.J.: Yes. I have been to all the synagogues in Mumbai, and the ones on the outskirts or in the villages of Maharashtra where the Bene Israel community resides. Once, nearly 40,000 Jews resided in Mumbai alone. Now the number has gone down to 3,000. They are dwindling. I have been to all Jewish settlements along the Konkan coast.
R.T.: Did you get a chance to visit the ones on the eastern side as well, in Kolkata?
E.J.: No, I haven’t. But, one day, I will. [I will visit the ones] in Delhi also.
R.T.: The synagogues that you have visited so far, are they any different from the ones in Kochi?
E.J.: I will tell you about the Bene Israel. On their journey to India, their ship was wrecked in Mandwa on the Konkan coast. It is believed that only seven men and eight women survived. Since they had lost everything in the wreck, they knew only Sabbath. They used to observe Sabbath and are called Shanwar Teli. Afterwards, when they had the money, they started to build the synagogues. People went from this synagogue (Kadavumbhagom) to Maharashtra and taught them the Torah. But they did not build the synagogues according to the style of the Cochin synagogues. However, the structure is the same, [in the sense that] it faces towards Jerusalem and [there is a] bimah (central podium in the main prayer hall from where the Torah scrolls are read out aloud) at the centre, but no upper bimah for women. [In the Cochin synagogues], we have two bimahs, upstairs and downstairs. Women used to sit upstairs behind the mechitzah (wooden partition) because we were very orthodox in the old days. Women were not allowed to enter the sanctuary. In Mumbai, they have big synagogues, but they are not as old as the ones in Kerala. The oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth countries is the Chendamangalam synagogue. It was built in 1166.
R.T.: Would you say that the synagogues here evolved over the centuries to assimilate more of Kerala features in its architecture than Jewish ones?
E.J.: [In those days] buildings were constructed in Kerala according to thachushastra, i.e. Kerala architecture. There was [definitely] an influence of Kerala architecture. Although the synagogues’ basic structure, the main hall, is a Jewish feature. Some features like the paddipura (gatehouse) is found even in Maharashtra. Some have gatehouses there like in the Paravur Synagogue.
R.T.: Would you say that discrimination based on colour or gender was common among the Jews of Cochin?
E.J.: Yes. The Sephardi Jews who came from Spain and Portugal, brought with them money and slaves. The slaves were called Black Jews, and were not allowed to enter their synagogue, i.e. the Paradesi Synagogue. Even the earlier settlers, the Malabari Jews, my ancestors who were believed to have come from Iraq and Yemen, were termed Black Jews, on the basis of colour, even though they were not slaves to them.
R.T.: Was this discrimination or its influence noticeable in the architecture of the Cochin synagogues?
E.J.: The architecture of the Paradesi Synagogue was copied from already existing synagogues. The structural features are the same. However, the Paradesi Synagogue has a bell tower which is a feature that can be said to have its roots in Spain or Portugal, from where the members of that congregation had arrived in Kerala.
R.T.: The gatehouse is a feature common to Kerala synagogues, but is notably absent from the Kadavumbhagom synagogue. Why is that the case? Was it a part of the initial structure?
E.J.: There was a gatehouse in front of this synagogue in the old days. It was demolished in 1970 following a case between a neighbour and the synagogue. People who were managing the synagogue back then had misused the property. The gatehouse comprised two big pillars with a main gate, which was different from the one we observe at the Paravur Synagogue. But there was no room on top of the gatehouse.
R.T.: What was the original purpose intended for the hall currently being used as sales area? Was there a Hebrew school functioning in this synagogue premises too as in the case of the other synagogues?
E.J.: It was a Hebrew-medium school, and, on days of Sabbath, the hall acted as a meeting space as well. The school used to function on both the floors. However, it closed down in 1948 soon after the mass migration to Israel started.
R.T.: What is the story of the Kadavumbhagom Synagogue since 1972, post the large-scale Jewish migration to Israel?
E.J.: In 1972, the synagogue was vandalised. All the glass lamps, brass pillars and even the bimah was stolen. The locals looted the interiors but did not alter the building structure in any way.
R.T.: In your opinion, what would you say is the attitude of the government agencies towards the conservation of Jewish heritage in India?
E.J.: The Jews do not play a big role in politics. We do not have deciding numbers. The archaeological departments, too, have their hands tied up because of insufficient funds and red-tapism. There is no autonomous body or statutory fund to repair [the synagogues in decay].
R.T.: So, when you were renovating the Kadavumbhagom Synagogue, did you receive any help from the government?
E.J.: No. No help at all. I was born and brought up here. I know the red-tape that exists. It is easier to climb the Everest than getting funds from the government agencies. Also, public funds cannot be used that way. I do not blame anybody. That’s just the structure of the Indian Constitution. If someone in power thinks about donating money for the [restoration of the synagogues], he will have to answer a million questions from all the sides. Who would knowingly take [up] that task?
R.T.: Could you tell us a little about the effort that went into the successful renovation of the synagogue recently?
E.J.: I received help from volunteers who came from Erode. They are about 1300 people from Erode who want to convert to Judaism.
[Moving into the synagogue] These yellow lamps were donated by a Muslim. These chandeliers were donated by Swami Hariprasad. The bimah is going to be repaired by people from Andhra Pradesh. Those windows are going to be repaired by a Muslim. This only happens in India. There wasn’t much help received from the Jewish community, but they did help get the Sefer Torah (the Torah scrolls, the holy book of Judaism) here.
R.T.: In your opinion, what can we do to increase awareness and generate an interest in the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Kochi as well as in other parts of India?
E.J.: Wherever the Jews have been, they contributed to society. They helped develop the lifestyle of the local people. They taught the people how to do business. You can see it all over the world. In Kochi, this market, which is also the biggest market in Kerala, belonged to the synagogue. The government and (responsible) organisations have to think about this. The Kadavumbhagom Synagogue in Mattancherry is in a dilapidated condition, and the government does not have the funds to restore it. The government should [be willing to] hand over authority to any organisation that wants to restore the building as per the rules and regulations of the Kerala Archaeology Department, and they have to raise the funds and maintain it. They can find the maintenance costs from collecting a fee, maybe.
