The Kadavumbagam Synagogue, which dates back to 1200 AD and is located on Market Road, will be reopened to the public on Monday (February 3) after renovation.
The 825-year-old synagogue, said to be the oldest in the Commonwealth, was renovated under the leadership of its Managing Trustee, Elias Josephai, with most of the work completed by volunteers from various communities.
The U.S. Consul General in Chennai Chris Hodges was the chief guest at a ‘grand thanksgiving event’ held at the synagogue on Sunday (February 2). Speaking on the occasion, he highlighted the synagogue as an example of the remarkable outcomes that inter-faith cooperation could achieve.
Reflecting on the Holocaust, in which an estimated six million Jews were tortured and killed by the Nazi regime, he commemorated the efforts of individuals who risked their lives to save Jews from the concentration camps.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a global Jewish human rights organisation, said that the rising anti-Semitism and the targeting of synagogues in many parts of the world starkly contrast with efforts to renovate and preserve such places of worship, even though few Jews reside here.
He went on to contrast the ‘no-go zones’ for Jews in many countries with the warm welcome he and other members of the community have received from people in Kochi.
Holocaust exhibition
Referring to the photographs and information about the Holocaust, which will be on public display at the renovated synagogue for another two weeks, Swami Hariprasad of the Vishnu Mohan Foundation, Chennai, said they highlight how the Jewish community bounced back after enduring the horrors of Nazi concentration camps. He added the displays were proof that despite being few in number, Jews have collective strength, which was essential for lasting peace.
Mr. Josephai spoke about how the Jewish congregation at the synagogue dwindled in the 1960s, after most community members emigrated to Israel leading to its closure in 1972. “The synagogue’s roof and walls were damaged in a storm in 1975, requiring the entire structure to be hydraulically lifted. After the renovation, the synagogue, which had hosted prayer services led by visiting rabbis or laymen, will become more active,” he added.
Mohiniyattom dancer Brigitte Chataignier, a French national who settled in India, spoke about India’s cultural richness and relative tranquillity, especially at a time when violence was rampant in various parts of the world.
The event was attended by members of the Jewish community from various parts of Ernakulam, along with a team of volunteers from Erode.
