cochin, india | Amid mounting rumors of the possible sale of a centuries-old synagogue in the southern Indian city of Cochin to a developer, authorities in the state government have taken steps to block the possibility of its future demolition.
The Thekkumbhagom synagogue, located on Jews Street in the Ernakulam area of Cochin, was built in 1580 and later renovated in 1939. Along with other local synagogues, it served Cochin’s 3,000 Jews until most moved to Israel after the establishment of the state. Fewer than 35 Jews now remain in Cochin.
The synagogue currently is owned by the Association of Kerala Jews, and the structure has fallen into disuse.
In recent weeks, according to former Cochini Jews living in Israel, the synagogue was put up for sale and negotiations were conducted with an Indian developer who wanted to buy the property and tear down the building.
A Christian who lives near the synagogue said that it was known throughout the neighborhood that the site is for sale.
But in an interview at his home in Cochin, Isaac Joshua, president of the Association of Kerala Jews, denied the synagogue was for sale. “That is false propaganda,” he said.
Nonetheless, dozens of former Cochini Jews living in Israel signed a petition calling on the authorities to safeguard the remaining synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in Cochin.
Venu V. Ias, the Kerala district government’s secretary of tourism, said, “I have instructed the superintending archeologist to take action to ensure that the building is not demolished.”
Ias added that the synagogue appeared on the government’s list of “heritage buildings,” which meant that it could not be torn down without the permission of local authorities.