Before Sunset

T Narayan | 05 Aug, 2015

Sarah Cohen, 92, is one of the last surviving members of the Jewish community of Mattancherry, an area around the 1568-built Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi, Kerala. Often called White Jews, or Cochin Jews, they number less than 10 today. Wearing a traditional kippa, Sarah sits by the window of her home-cum-shop, where she embroiders Jewish motifs on caps. The town that once flourished with trade and Hebrew culture has been taken over by antique shops and a spice market. This tiny community of Malayalam-speaking Jews continues to follow ancient Judaic traditions and rituals