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VIDEO: The Lone Caretaker Of Kochi’s Centuries Old Jewish Synagogue

Watch how one man independently maintains and preserves an important part of Jewish history in Kochi, located in the state of Kerala in India.

Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews, are the oldest group of Jews in India, with possible roots claimed to date to the time of King Solomon.

They were in Kerala for more than 2000 years. After the formation of Israel in 1948, around 2500 members of the Cochin Jews migrated to Israel

Today there are 27 Jews remaining in Cochin.

The diaspora from Cochin are a community with more than 4000 members in Israel today.

Finding Judaism Across Africa and Central America, Intersections with Sephardi and Mizrahi Culture and Practice – March 12, 2023

Finding Judaism Across Africa and Central America, Intersections with Sephardi and Mizrahi Culture and Practice

IN PERSON and ONLINE!
Sunday, March 12 from 10 am – 4 pm EST
Center for Jewish History, 15 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011

Communities across Africa and Central America are returning to their Jewish roots or finding Judaism. They are seeking out religion and a connection to the larger Jewish world, many with a view towards their own Sephardi ancestry and others through an affinity for the Sephardi rites. 

Representatives of these communities, documentarians, and activists will come together to share their experiences and the unique interactions of these communities and the greater Sephardi world traditions. 

Featuring 

  • Professor Tudor Parfitt, distinguished professor at Florida International University, world-renowned scholar and historian of Lost Tribes. Featured on the History channel, BBC, and PBS.
  • Professor Shalva Weil, senior researcher at Hebrew University, world-renowned scholar on Indian Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Lost Tribes, and femicide. 
  • Joseph F. Lovett, producer, director, and writer. Director of Children of the Inquisition, 2019.
  • Jator Abido (Yatov ben Yisrael), Jewish Nigerian Prince, representative to the Sub Sahara Africa Jewish alliance, and civil engineer 
  • Patricio Serno, filmmaker and co-founder of Casa Tova, Mexico
  • Bonita Sussman, President of Kulanu, world traveler, author, and photographer
  • Genie Milgrom, world-renowned genealogist, Crypto-Jewish advocate, and author
  • Dr. Drora Arussy, Senior Director, ASF Institute of Jewish Experience
  • and more!

Register today!

To attend in person in New York City with lunch, the cost is $36.

To attend virtually on zoom, the cost is $15.

UPCOMING WEBINAR: The Past and Current Story of the Jews of Indonesia – March 2, 2023

Yaakov Baruch was born in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and grew up in Manado. He learned of his maternal Jewish mother’s background while a youth, and began to research his Dutch Jewish roots while in college. Yaakov visited Jewish communities in Singapore and IsraelEurope and America and then chose more in-depth study of Judaism.

In 2000, Yaakov established a synagogue community in Manado and inaugurated the synagogue in 2004, which was attended by Israel TV Channel 10. While there were Jews in Indonesia with Iraqi and Dutch roots, those communities which had existed in other parts of the country no longer exist. In 2019, the Tondano community decided to change its Synagogue “minhag” to that of the Western Sephardic or Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities. The Shaar Hashamayim Synagogue was consecrated in 2022.

Learn more, with photos, historical facts, and personal histories of the Jews of Indonesia.