Another Rare Image of the Thekkumbhagom Synagogue of Mattancherry

Earlier, I discussed here about two rare images of the extinct 'Thekkumbgaom Synagogue' of Mattancherry and addressed why it is difficult to obtain a photograph. Here is one more photograph that has appeared in 1930s which shows the intact gatehouse of the Thekkumnhagom Synagogue. Interestingly, this image was also taken to represent the Jew Street, and the caption reads "Street of White Jews in Cochin in the 30s". Like the 1917 photograph, this image was taken from the same angle, but a few feet away from the synagogue, and hence a little less detailed though. Nonetheless, the empty Jew Street looks more distinct with the clock tower of Paradesi Synagogue at the end of the street.

The two-storeyed gatehouse is clearly visible with its semi-circular entrance and steps leading into it from the ground floor. Flanking on on either side of the entrance are two stone lamps, which is however concealed by the individuals standing before the synagogue in the 1917 photo. The upper floor is having opened windows which are all closed in the 1917 image. There are also a few other differences between the two images. Two side windows existed, one on either side of the entrance in the older photograph (1917), but the right side (north) window does not appear to me in the 1930 image or is there one?. Moreover, a side entrance can be seen in this photograph at the northern end (right to the main entrance) which is not present in the 1917 image, and could therefore be a later addition. The other major difference, although not a structural variation, is the absence of the thick vegetation captured in the 1917 photograph, located towards north immediately after the synagogue gatehouse.

Thekkumbgahom Synagogue of Mattancherry in 1930s (the red arrow marks the two-storeyed gatehouse of the synagogue)

Photo credit: reproduced with permission from 'Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation' (https://www.paulbrunton.org/) and the online link to the image is here. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to George Lino, who has been kind enough to bring this photograph to my attention.

Thekkumbgahom Synagogue of Mattancherry in 1917 (see more details here)

THE FOUR DIALS OF THE CLOCK TOWER OF PARADESI SYNAGOGUE.

It may appear strange that the most photographed Jewish monument in Kerala is a three-storeyed clock tower outside a synagogue. The reason is that, Paradesi synagogue, the most frequented Jewish site in Kerala has a strict no photography policy inside its compound, and the closest a visitor could get is an attractive clock tower located just outside the main sanctuary building. Nonetheless, not many people know that the tower building is not part of the original synagogue built in 1568, but was constructed around two centuries later. The 45 feet tall square shaped structure built in Dutch architectural style in 1760-1761 period is worth exploring. There are different versions about the origin of the clock tower such as the Dutch Governor donating the monument (see the 'bell thieves' story) or the Cochin Rajah giving land for the tower etc. It is generally agreed, however, that the tower was built by the wealthy Jewish merchant, Ezekiel Rahabi, who also brought the famed Chinese tiles from Canton in China in 1762 for the synagogue. To the best of my knowledge, the earliest documented evidence about the clock tower is in the travelogue of Rabbi David Hillel, who visited Cochin in late 1820s and published his 'Travels of Rabbi David de'Beth Hillel' in 1832. He writes: "The Dutch presented the synagogue with an excellent clock for which a separate tower is built" (1832, p. 120).  

The clock tower located at the end of 'Synagogue Lane' has the Synagogue on the western side; the Cochin Rajah's Palace (Dutch Palace) on the northern side; and the Mattancherry harbour on the eastern side. One of the characteristic feature of this clock tower, is its unique dials made of teak wood engraved in Latin/Roman (south side), Hebrew (west side) and Malayalam (north side) numerals and texts. The cardinal arrangement of each dials in different languages was probably meant for specific communities. Thus, the Hebrew west dial facing the Synagogue courtyard served the Jewish worshippers; the north dial in colloquial Malayalam was meant for the Rajah of Cochin; and the south dial with standard Roman numerals was for the Jewish community residing in the Synagogue Lane. A clock tower with three dials, in three different languages, with three different calendar systems to denote its establishment date is unique. I believe this is perhaps the only place in Kerala where you get to see the first ten Hebrew alphabets arranged in a serial order and displayed publically, although you need get inside the synagogue courtyard to get a better view. The Malayalam numerals are outdated and rarely used by the common people today, so it is also a special feeling to look them from a historic venue.

This brings us to the question of whether a fourth dial existed on the east side of the tower which is currently empty. If there was one, why and when was it removed and what type of numerals was used in it? Some scholars believe that there may once have a fourth dial on the east, facing the harbour, with Arabic numerals, which Paradesi leader, I. S. Hallegua believed was probably taken down in 1800 for unknown reasons (Weil, 2002, p.55). However, this may not be the case if we consider the description given by Advocate A. B. Salem in his authoritative work, 'Jew-Town Synagogue', published in 1929. According to him, there was an east dial for the general public, but he does not mention the type of numerals used in it. It will not be out of place to quote the full passage from Salem's work which is as follows: "Inside is the clock-an old Dutch curiosity-worthy to be preserved under the Indian Ancient Monuments Act of Lord Curzon, with its four dials, one, to show the time to the worshippers in the Synagogue, fixed on the western wall of the tower, one on the northern wall to show the time to the Raja of Cochin, and one, on the southern side for the advantage of the community, and one, on the eastern side for the general public" (Salem, 1929, pp. 24-25). Surprisingly, even later writers such as Bar Giora (1958, p. 226), Yehudi (1989, p. 56), Segal (1993, p. 48) etc., write specifically about a fourth dial with Arabic numerals on the eastern side. 

If indeed a fourth dial existed until late 20th century, there must be an external evidence, perhaps a photograph to support this claim. So far, I haven't come across any photograph that shows a dial on the eastern wall of the clock tower. The availability of early images of the east side of the clock tower is major hurdle, because the monument is usually captured from the south side (Synagogue Lane). In order to have the the eastern wall, the image has to be obtained from the north (Dutch Palace side) or the east (harbour side) sides. Nevertheless, here is one rare early 20th century image of the clock-tower depicting the east side. The photograph appeared in 1923 in the book entitled 'Cochin British & Indian' by F S Davies, and you can see the east wall lacks a clock-dial.

The clock tower and the synagogue in 1923

Yet another image to be considered is the one that has appeared in the front cover of "The Songs of Cochin Jews and their Historical Significance", published by Paradesi leader A. I. Simon in 1947 from Cochin. If the image was part of the original edition, then we have a clear evidence that an east dial was absent in the mid-20th century also. However, we do not know if the community reinstalled one shortly afterwards, which Bar Giora claims to have seen in 1958. Bar Giora also reports about a plaque on the side facing the synagogue (i.e. western side of clock tower), on which was written in Hebrew "Our days pass away like a shadow, we bring our years to an end as tale that is told". This plaque bearing the Hebrew dictum is also mentioned by Yehudi (1989, p. 56) seen near the door, which according to him was later lost. 

The Paradesi Synagogue and the Palace Temple next to each other (A. I. Simon, 1947)

"GROWING UP JEWISH IN INDIA" (2021) by Ori Z. Soltes (ed.)-a beautifully illustrated account of the three Jewish Communities of India (Baghdadi, Bene Israeli and Cochini)

Recently published [May, 2021 in India; forthcoming December, 2021 outside India] "Growing up Jewish in India: Synagogues, Customs, and Communities from the Bene Israel to the Art of Siona Benjamin"; Edited by Ori Z. Soltes [Published by Niyogi Books, New Delhi, 320 pp.] is not just another book on the Jewish communities of India. The six chapters contributed by experts in the area, enriched with over 150 fabulous illustrations are a delight to read through. To have a better picture, Majha House, an Amritsar based platform for art and culture has hosted the author Ori Z. Soltes to discuss about the book, and you can watch the full 45 minutes video here.

I am particularly interested in the chapter on Cochin Jews by Orna- Eliyahu Oron and Barbara Johnson which explores all the eight synagogues of Kerala with some interesting snippets, some of them could be entirely new to many. Excerpts from Orna's award winning Master's Thesis (2004) in Hebrew (unpublished) which is perhaps the most thorough study on the Torah Arks of Kerala Jews to date, appears for the first time to the English-speaking community. Prof. Barbara C. Johnson, who did both her Master's and Ph.D. Theses on Cochin Jews and published several articles on the Kerala Jewish communities of India and Israel does not need an introduction. The article is an up-to date resource for anyone interested to know the general history and current status of the synagogues of Kerala. This chapter (2) spread over about 90 pages with 48 images inserted between sections of variable text, occupies a rather major portion of the 320-page book. 

The oldest photographs in the article are from David G. Mandelbaum's 1937 collection of slides. There are three photographs showing the interior of Thekkumbhagom Synagogue of Mattancherry that has never been published before. This is huge, considering that even getting an image of the exterior of the synagogue is so hard (see here), the authors have done a great job and come across a rare gem. Another photograph from Mandelbaum is that of Thekkumbhagom Synagogue of Ernakulam, also from 1937. There are also images of Kerala synagogues taken between 1957 and 1981 and some of them I  believe especially the ones provided by Barbara have not been reproduced elsewhere.

On a personal level, I had the privilege to contribute 14 photographs (photos taken between 2011 and 2019) to this article representing the current state of the synagogues of Kerala. I am also happy to notice that three of these photographs appeared as double page spreads in the book. The number of photographs appeared synagogue wise are:

Kadavumbhagom-Mattancherry (2); 

Paradesi-Mattancherry (2); 

Kadavumbhagom-Ernakulam (2); 

Thekkumbhagom-Ernakulam (1); 

Chendamangalam (3); 

North-Paravur (2); 

Mala (2). 

FRONT & BACK COVER

TORAH ARKS OF THE JEWS OF KERALA

The Torah Ark, also known as Heichal or Aron ha'Kodesh is a chamber or cabinet that houses the sacred Torah Scrolls. In Kerala, the wooden Torah Arks are highly ornate, intricately carved and elegantly designed. All the Arks of Kerala are positioned on the wall facing Jerusalem, i.e. at the western end of the synagogue. Out of the 8 extant synagogues of Kerala, the arks of all except that of the Mala have survived. This is a remarkable achievement considering that except for the  Paradesi synagogue, the remaining 7 synagogues were abandoned or unattended for decades after the Jewish community emigrated to Israel from early 1950s onwards. The Thekkumbhagom synagogue in Mattancherry was completely demolished in 1960s; the nearby Kadavumbhagom sanctuary was turned into a godown and left to decay; and the Mala Synagogue was transformed into a local community hall and primary school. The situation was not different with other Malabari synagogues as well until the early decade of 21st century, when Government Organisations, Private Institutions and individual initiatives together played significant roles in changing the dismal conditions. Today, Parur and Chendamangalam synagogues are Jewish museums open to the public; Kadavumbhagom-Ernakulam is a fully functional beautiful synagogue; Mala synagogue is being renovated and beautified; heavily ruined Kadavumbhagom synagogue-Mattancherry is under early phases of restoration; and Thekkumbhagom synagogue-Ernakulam is already a protected monument waiting for its turn of restoration.