Jew Town - Fort Cochin

Karen stands in front of a closed building - The Jewish orthodox residents don't work on Saturdays.

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A strange contrast with unintended connotations, a sign points to the synagogue, but the windows of the building next to it feature swastikas - a Hindu symbol of peace before Hitler gave it a new meaning. When the windows were built, the symbol didn't have its modern connotation.

The Synagogue clock tower was built in 1760, but the Synagogue was built in the 1600s - the architecture could be in Southern Europe, specifically Portugal where the Jewish people immigrated from. This is the oldest Synagogue in India, and the 7 Jewish families who still remain in Jew Town have lived in India longer than many Indian families have. The Synagogue pre-dates the Taj Mahal.

The gate to the Synagogue courtyard

A shop owned by one of the Jewish families in Kochin. When we went in, the owner, an old Jewish woman, was talking to the salesgirl in Malyalam, the local language. The Jewish people here speak English, Hebrew, and Malyalam