The Historic ‘Kadavumbagam Synagogue’ of Mattancherry (1544).

Every day hundreds of tourists flock to visit Paradesi Synagogue, the oldest functional Jewish monument in India. But how many of them realize that not far from this famed monument lies a more ancient synagogue? Perhaps the skeletal remains of this unmarked and ill-maintained structure are so obscure and ordinary looking that many travel books and tourist guides fail to even mention its existence! Known as the Kadavumbagam (Riverside) synagogue of Mattancherry, this Malabari Jewish monument was built before the Paradesi synagogue. At its height of glory the monument was a much larger and grander structure with its fame reaching even outside India. How big was the synagogue? Late Ruby Daniel, a Cochin Jew who lived in Jew Street before migrating to Israel, quotes in her memoir about an old Jewish folk song, where the number of seat holders attending prayers in the Kadavumbagam synagogue was 800! 

The Kadavumbagam Jews before emigrating to Israel.

The Kadavumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry is at the southern end of the Jew Town and it takes less than 10 minutes to walk from the Paradesi Synagogue which is at the other end. In fact, the original Jew Street of Mattancherry stretched from the Kadavumbagam Synagogue to the Paradesi Synagogue with the Thekkumbagam Synagogue in between. All the houses in the narrow Jew Street near the Kadavumbagam Synagogue belonged to the Malabari Jews, while the ones towards the middle of the street were the Meshuhararim residences. Today, none of them are in Jewish hands as all left for Israel. The upper section of the Jew Street had the more wealthy Paradesi homes, and a few are still with the surviving Jews. The Jewish Year Book (1907/08) observes that the Kadavumbagam synagogue was managed a century before by four trustees, viz.  Elias Moses Madai, Joseph Isaac Nahamia, Elijah Sadill Isaac and Elijah Nahamiah Jacob, and had enough funding to do charity work for the poor. 

However,  David G. Mandelbaum (1939) gives us a different picture about the community in early 20^th century: “At the lower end is the Riverside (Kadavumbagam) synagogue of the black Jews, named after an earlier structure in Cranganore. The houses of the black Jews (Malabari Jews) extend up the street for perhaps five hundred yards. Most of them have an open veranda in front, in which the head of the family sells his fowls, eggs, and produce. In back of the shop are the living quarters which must be entered through the veranda, for the houses are jammed one against the other. Sandwiched between Jewish homes are houses belonging to Moslem merchants and Hindu artisans, for poverty and the extinction of family lines have necessitated the sale of some Jewish houses to outsiders”.

Reference:

Mandelbaum, David G. “The Jewish Way of Life in Cochin”, Jewish Social Studies, Vol. 1, 1939, pp. 423-60.

History of the Kadavumbagom Synagogue, Mattancherry.

According to Jewish traditions (mostly Malabari), the Kadavumbagam Synagogue was built after their first synagogue in Cochin, the Kochangadi Synagogue (est. 1344) became functionless. However, the Kochangadi synagogue functioned until the late 1780s or early 1790s, when it was destroyed by Tipu Sultan. The Paradsei version can be summarized from the words of late S. S. Koder: 'As a result of the Moorish attack on the Jews of Cranganore in 1524, more Jews escaped to Cochin. They found the Cochangadi Synagogue too small. Another Synagogue the Kadvobagham Synagogue was therefore built in Cochin by Baruch Levi, the father of the first Mudaliyar in 1544 and completed in 1550'. 

STRUCTURE OF THE KADAVUMBHAGOM SYNAGOGUE OF MATTANCHERRY

The original synagogue complex had a two-storey gatehouse, a Beit Midrash (Hebrew school), a connecting breezeway and a main sanctuary. The synagogue had direct access to the sea and even a landing site for boats, located 50 meters in front (east) of the monument. There was a market in front of the synagogue according to Ruby Daniel (Ruby of Cochin, p.44). Today, only the sanctuary building remains and the rest all have disappeared. The gatehouse and breezeway were demolished in early 1960s while the Jew Street was expanded and altered. We know that the Hebrew school was attended by Malabari Jewish children from both Kadavumbagam and Thekkumbagam communities of Mattancherry. 

Legends and folklores about the Kadavumbagom Synagogue, Mattancherry.

The Kadavumbagam Synagogue is attributed with several miracles when it was in use. “Therefore if anyone became ill, or was embarking on a dangerous journey, or lost something and wanted to recover it-or when a woman was soon to give birth-it was customary to bring a gift or donation to this synagogue and to pray for one’s well-being”, says Ruby Daniel. She remembers even non-Jews bringing a glass of oil for the synagogue’s lamp as a gift. She also describes an incident where a boy dies in an earthquake in Quetta, Afghanistan; and the father sends money to Mattancherry every year on his death anniversary so that his son's name is remembered in the famed Kadavumbagam synagogue!

There is also an interesting story about the person who purchased the synagogue and converted it into a factory for ropes and mat. It goes like this; being a Hindu he hung the idol of his God over the synagogue door, only to find it lying on the floor in pieces next day morning. He repeats the process and the result was the same each morning. Eventually, his sons began to die and only then he realized that he had to leave the synagogue.

The Kadavumbagam Synagogue of Mattancherry after the Jews left.

After the Malabari Jews of Mattancherry left for Israel in 1955, the synagogue was first entrusted to the Paradesi Jewish community. The synagogue was later rented and then sold to non-Jews. It became a woodshop, a workshop for producing ropes and mats, and even a warehouse for storing areca nuts and dried shrimps! Today, the building is padlocked and empty. The synagogue is for sale as of 2010 and has some disputes over its ownership and hence very difficult to access. Here is a photo of the synagogue taken in 1990 before it was dismantled and taken to Israel. You can see the intricately wooden-carved ceiling and the women's gallery. Also look for the bundles of rope stored inside the synagogue after it was turned into a factory!

 

Kadavumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry in 1990. Photo courtesy, The Jews of India-a story of three communities (1995), Orpa Slapak ed., The Israel Museum-Jerusalem, p.60. Photo credited to Jorg Drechsel.

Journey of the ‘Holy Ark’ of Kadavumbagam Synagogue from Mattancherry to Jerusalem.

What happened to the ark of the Kadavumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry after Jews left for Israel? The Kadavumbagam 'Torah Ark' of  Mattancherry was installed inside the synagogue in 1940s after its previous ark was damaged by humidity. As the Kadavumbagam Jews left India in 1955 and the synagogue became disuse, this newly installed ark which was said to be a replica of the pre-1940 Heichal, was sent to Israel sometime between 1955 and 1957. The exact order of events once the Ark reached Israel is not very clear. It is generally believed that the Cochin Jews failed to claim the Ark from the customs in Haifa Port, and as a result it was allocated to a German Jewish orthodox community in Moshav Nehalim in central Israel. A different version is that they were not in a position to build a synagogue immediately on arrival to Israel, and therefore  the Ark was donated willingly to the Nehalim community. For those who want to see the original ark of Kadavumbagam synagogue, here is a photograph taken in 1984 from the Moshav, published in 'the Jews of India-a story of three communities' (1995), Orpa Slapak ed., p.56.

How to locate the ‘Kadavumbagam Synagogue’ of Mattancherry?

See '11' and '5' in the maps here and here, respectively. Using the Dutch Palace or Mattancherry Palace (the palace of Kochi Maharaja) as a reference point, if a straight line is drawn towards south, all three synagogues of Mattancherry will align in a row, at a distance of 75 meters (Paradesi), 175 meters (Thekkumbagam) and 575 meters (Kadavumbagam), respectively from the palace. As you walk from the Paradesi Synagogue towards south along the Jew Street, skip the two side roads to your right (west), the first is A.B. Salem road and the other joins at a junction where you can identify the 1831 Jewish building with a large Star of David atop. Continue walking the Jew Street further south and after approximately 200 meters ahead you will be able to identify a huge derelict white building on to your right (west) side with flaked and soiled lime plaster walls. The front walls are painted yellow and the main entrance is enclosed by a dark-red steel roll-up door. The old building with its exposed wood rafters and gabbled terracotta roofs can easily be overlooked. The structure looks so ruined, shabby and overgrown with weeds that it is hard to believe it was a synagogue once.  The pad-locked synagogue is very difficult to access today, although there is nothing worth to see inside. For those who are adamant to see the interior, Cochinsyn.com has two photographs uploaded here.There are not many good landmarks to identify the synagogue. You can look for two small shops; ‘M.S.M Stores’ opposite and ‘Alfiya Stores’ just before the synagogue on the same side (west) in the Jew Street.

Walking the Jew Street from the 1831 Jewish building (1st Photo below) to the 'Kadavumbagam Synagogue' of Mattanchery. The distance is roughly 200 meters.

For the 1831 Jewish building, see my earlier upload here

Location of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry. The synagogue is in Jew Street, opposite to 'Global Enterprises' and 'MSM Stores'; or just after 'Alfiya Stores' while you come from the Paradesi synagogue side.

Eastern (front) side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry. Infront of the synagogue was a Hebrew school, a double-storey gatehouse and an open way to the sea. All gone now!

Northern side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry.

 

Southern side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry.

Western (back) side of the Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Mattancherry.

Demolition active in the Kadavumbagam Synagogue compound, Mattancherry.

 

Photos taken on January, 2011.

A rare black and white 1913 photograph of the Jew Street of Mattancherry. Can it give a possible clue to the original walls of Thekkumbagam synagogue compound?

Jew Street of Mattancherry in 1913

 

Jew Street of Mattancherry in 2011

This unique photograph was taken in 1913 by Charley Brown and it appears in the ‘Illustrated Guide to the South Indian Railway’ (p.224). What makes this photograph special  is that it may give us a hint about how the surrounding area of the Thekkumbagam synagogue of Mattancherry looked before it was demolished. If you compare this photograph with the modern Jew Street, you will notice that not much has changed even after 100 years. You can see the clock tower of the Paradesi synagogue (1). In fact, all the Paradesi houses on the east (right) side look identical. Some of these homes could be very old, for example Sarah Cohen lives in a 300-year-old home built by her ancestors. Comparing both the photographs, I assume that the house on the extreme right is that of Sarah Cohen’s (2). Now comes the interesting part. As you may have already noticed, there is a big difference in the appearance of the west (left) side. The tall conical shaped multi-storey building on the left still exists with some modifications today (see here) but there is an open area, protected by a tall cemented wall. You can make out coconut and mango trees protruding out from this enclosed area. There seems also a lamp hanging from the wall and after that an opening, perhaps an entrance to this courtyard? The wall (3) is opposite to Sarah Cohen’s home and ideally fits with the location of Thekkumbagam synagogue. So is this the original wall of Thekkumbagam synagogue or just a part of a residence? I am sure at least the surviving Jews of Cochin remember the synagogue that existed until 1950s. Read Thoufeek Zakriya's comment below for additional details.

THEKKUMBHAGOM SYNAGOGUE OF MATTANCHERRY (1647 or 1489?).

About 100 meters from the ‘Paradesi Synagogue’, on the same side (west) was a synagogue belonging to the Malabari Jewish community known as the ‘Thekkumbagam Synagogue’ of Mattancherry (see here for the photograph; 1: Thekkumbagam Synagogue and  2: Paradesi Synagogue and '5' in the map here). It was located south of the Paradesi Synagogue and aptly named Thekkumbagam as the word Thekku means south in Malayalam. However, Thekkumbagom is probably derived from an earlier synagogue of first century Cranganore. In Kerala there are two sets of Thekkumbagom (south-side) and Kadavumbagom (bay area or harbour-side) synagogues, one pair in Mattancherry and the other in Ernakulam, each supposedly referring to earlier synagogues in the ancient port city of Cranganore by the same names

Site of the earlier 'Thekkumbagam Synagogue', Mattancherry. Immediately opposite of Sarah Cohen’s embroidery shop look for fragments of an old building. Remember that the remains are not part of the earlier synagogue’s walls as some speculate, but only 20th century structures added by later owners. The synagogue existed at the site of the current two-storey house behind the walls.

The white double-storey modern building in the background (see first 3 photos) was originally the residence of Elias Koder (brother of Paradesi leader S. S. Koder) and it was constructed once the  Thekkumbagam Synagogue of Mattancherry was demolished.