Cochin Jews
Cochin Jews (also Malabar Jews ) is the name given to the Jews of the South Indian Malabar coast, particularly the port city of Kochi (formerly Cochin), and their descendants. Almost all the Cochin Jews have emigrated to Israel.
As a result of several waves of immigration, three different groups formed who according to their origin as " Malabari Jews ", " Paradesi Jews" and " Meshuhrarim ", but sometimes also by their skin color as "Black ", "White " and " Brown Jews " be referred. Formative strict delineation of the groups had with each other, similar to the Hindu caste system.
Immigration
Malabari Jews
The immigration took place in several waves. As " Malabari Jews " the descendants of the first Jewish immigrants are referred to, who, due to the mixing with the indigenous population, a similar dark skin color. They are sometimes called "Black Jews," they call themselves " Meyuhassim " (Hebrew: "privileged" ). About 85 percent of Cochin Jews are Malabari Jews. In Kerala there are no Malabari Jews more, the last immigrant to Israel in 1972. They traditionally spoke a interspersed with numerous loanwords Hebrew dialect of Malayalam. The Malabari Jews living in Israel today speak mainly Hebrew; the Malayalam is strong in decline.
Paradesi Jews
The " Paradesi " - or " Pardesi Jews " ( Malayalam: " stranger " ), also referred to as "White Jews ", the descendants of the 16th century mainly from Spain and Portugal, but also other European and Middle Eastern countries are immigrant Jews, and now account for around 14 percent of Cochin Jews. Follow mainly the Sephardic rite. Elements of the Ashkenazi rite are rare.
Unusual was the long -time dominant strict delimitation of the Paradesi of the Malabari Jews who were unable to attend the services of the Paradesi synagogue. Intermarriage between the two groups were undesirable. It was not until after 1948, the number of remaining Jews in Cochin decreased more and more, the Paradesi Jews excluded from less.
Meshuhrarim
The Meshuhrarim or " brown Jews " were originally slaves richer Paradesi and Malabari merchants and were converted to Judaism by those ( proselytism ). However, they represent less than 1 percent of the Cochin Jews. Your own name is Meshuhrarim, which translates as " Exempt " means in Hebrew. Although their customs are similar to those of the "white " Jews, they were not allowed to use the benches in their synagogues to the middle of the 20th century. Mixed marriages with "white" Jews were not wanted.
History
About the origin of the first Jews of the Malabar coast are unclear. According to legend, they should be already landed in the 10th century BC, King Solomon's merchant fleet there. In fact, probably consisted trade relations between the kingdom of Solomon and the Malabar coast. Other theories suggest that the first Jews by the Babylonians in 586 BC came the conquest of Judea to South India, or that the small people of the Todas, who lives in the mountains of Nilgiris, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel was. Most Cochin Jews argue that their ancestors immigrated 70 AD after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Historians today is a presumption that they migrated only in the early Middle Ages from Yemen and Iraq, as most likely, but can no longer be accurately reconstruct the timing of their arrival today.
The first evidence for the existence of a Jewish community is written in old - Tamil Language Charter on two copper plates, which are now kept in the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi. It confirms that the Jewish businessman Joseph Rabban the village Anjuvannam was left near Kodungallur, together with the tax revenues and that this, in addition to some other privileges, including a litter and a parasol should possess what had actually reserved for the rulers. Thus the emergence of a Jewish state was very small allowed. There is disagreement, however, about the author, and thus the age of the Charter. Various historians sit down at the Period of the copper plates between the 4th and 10th centuries. Most true today but the Hindu ruler Bhaskara Ravi Varma (962-1020) as author.
Travelers of the 12th century, including the Spanish rabbi Benjamin of Tudela reported repeatedly by the Jews of the Malabar Coast. Until the arrival of the Portuguese, they lived peacefully and intermarried with the local Hindus, Muslims and Christians. In the 14th century resulted in a dispute between two brothers, at the crown of the small Jewish kingdom for the expropriation of the Jews by the princes of the neighboring kingdoms. The two brothers moved in 1341 with their followers to Cochin (now Kochi) and there founded the first Jewish community and soon the Kochangadi Synagogue.
With the support of Zamorins of Calicut (now Kozhikode ) attacked Arabs in 1524 the city Cranganore (now Kodungallur ) - until then, the Jewish center of the Malabar coast - under the pretext that the Malabar Jews want to break the Arab spice monopoly, and destroyed the city almost completely. Almost all Jews then fled to Cochin under the protection of the local Hindu ruler. 40 years after the destruction Cranganores also left the last place the conditions Cochin.
At this time, the Jewish quarter was in the district of Mattancherry. Then there was a wave of immigration from originally expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 16th century Sephardim. Referred to by the locals as "White Jews " immigrants encapsulated, however, more than from the "Black Jews ". Mixed marriages were generally frowned upon. As Cochin came under Portuguese rule, the resident Jewish population had to suffer from the religious intolerance of the colonial masters. Without the protection of the local ruler, they would have the Portuguese reprisals probably can not withstand. After the support of the Jewish population for a Dutch attempt to conquer 1662 a synagogue was destroyed in Mattancherry, built two years later by the more tolerant Dutch but again. The latter even brought Torah scrolls and prayer books from Europe. During the nearly 125 years of Dutch rule, there were close relations with the Jewish community of Amsterdam. 1686 posted this a delegation to Cochin, whose leader, the Sephardi Moses Pereira da Paiva, of 465 Malabar Jews and nine synagogues (including three in Cochin ) reported. A century later, the community, the Governor Moens According to the Dutch, already grown to about 2000 members, which was also due to more immigrants from the Middle East. Even under British rule (from 1795), the community could continue to develop freely.
With a 1901 letter written to Theodor Herzl, the Cochin Jews expressed their consent to the emerging Zionist movement Herzl. 1923, the first Zionist Association was founded in Cochin.
After Israel's independence in 1948, almost all Cochin Jews emigrated there. Fraud, the Jewish population in the early 1940s still about 3000, so it was shrunk throughout Kerala with the emergence of Israel within a few years to less than 100. The peculiarities of the Jewish community of Kochi addressed, inter alia, Salman Rushdie's novel The Moor's Last Sigh.
Cochin Jews today
Today, only about 20 mostly older white Jews in Kochi ( formerly Cochin ), the only city of Kerala, which still has a Jewish community living. The members of the communities of Ernakulam, Aluva and Parur all emigrated to Israel. Of the original three synagogues Kochi today is only the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry in operation. Since the small community but has long had no rabbi, religious ceremonies are conducted by the church elders. Often services are performed only when the required number of believers by the presence of Jewish tourists is achieved.
The number of people living in Israel, Cochin Jews is estimated at 5000, and there are small groups in the United States and Great Britain.
Special
Through centuries of contacts with other common on the Malabar Coast religions, some features have emerged. To test the believers before visiting the synagogue their shoes, as is common in Hindus and Muslims. In the synagogues hang, in accordance with Hindu traditions, colorful oil lamps from the ceiling. Other special customs are wearing dresses a specified color at certain festivals and distributing flavored with myrtle grapes on feast days.