Directory listings Archive | Page 66 of 259

Jew Town

Historic Jew Town, the heart of the once-thriving Cochin Jewish community, is known for its old-world charm and 16th-century Paradesi Synagogue. Quaint shops around Synagogue Lane and Jew Town Road sell antiques, carvings, and vintage collectibles, along with Keralan crafts and aromatic spices. Laid-back outdoor cafes and artsy eateries, some in heritage buildings, serve local specialties and Western fare.

The neighborhood was once lined with Jewish homes and shops that are now mostly owned by Muslims. Some of the wrought-iron windows and outer walls retain their Star of David decorations, some side by side with swastikas, the Indian good-luck symbol that the Nazis co-opted. Souvenir and antique shops beckon with names like Café Jew Town and Shalom. A.B. Salem Street, which leads to the cemetery, is padlocked behind a gate. The street is named for a community leader, lawyer, teacher and follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

Images Credit: Chendamangalam Synagogue, Paradesi Synagogue and Kadavumbagam synagogue (Ernakulam) to the Ministry of Tourism Kerala.

Kadavumbagam Synagogue

In a most unlikely setting, the Kadavambagam synagogue in Ernakulam (a 45-minute drive away from Jew Town) sits in the midst of a crowded market, hidden behind a plant and aquarium shop called Cochin Blossoms that incorporates hamsas on its sign.

The current synagogue is the restored oldest synagogue of the Malabar Jews, with a Sefer Torah scroll and offering occasional services. It was established in 1200 CE and restored several times through the centuries on the same site. It is modeled on the earliest synagogue of the Malabar Jews at Muziris from the ancient times of Mediterranean sea trade with Kerala. The earliest synagogue of the ancient Malabar Jews is today submerged in the sea following the gradual rise of sea level over several millennia.

Although the Chendamangalam Synagogue is the oldest surviving synagogue structure in Kerala and Indian subcontinent (established in 1166 CE), its Torah scrolls were taken to Israel by it congregation in 1952. This makes the Kadavumbhagham Ernakulam synagogue the oldest Malabar Jewish synagogue today (since its restoration in 2018) with a Torah scroll that is occasionally used for services. The Paradesi Sephardic synagogue at Mattancherry also has Torah scrolls but it was established much later in 1568.

The Sabbath services at the Kadavumbhagam Ernakulam synagogue continued till 1972 when a large portion of the community immigrated to Israel by 1972 along with the Torah scrolls. For decades, the Kadavumbhagham Synagogue at Ernakulam remained without any Sabbath services and without a Sefer Torah. Today the synagogue is nested within the bustling market at Ernakulam with a thriving aquarium in the front area near the synagogue operating since 1985. After much effort, the Kadavumbhagham Ernakulam synagogue was restored and the Sefer Torah brought back to the synagogue in 2018 after 46 years. Today there are only two synagogues in Kochi that have Torah scrolls: the Paradesi synagogue of the Sephardic Jews in Mattancherry and the Kadavumbhagham Ernakulam synagogue of the ancient Malabar Jews.

Paradesi Synagogue

The Paradesi Synagogue aka Mattancherry Synagogue is a synagogue located in Mattancherry Jew Town, a suburb of the city of Kochi, Kerala, in India. It was built in 1568 A.D. by Samuel Castiel, David Belila, and Joseph Levi for the flourishing Paradesi Jewish community in Kochi. The Malabari Jews or Yehudan Mappila (also known as Cochin Jews) formed a prosperous trading community of Kerala, and they controlled a major portion of worldwide spice trade.

In 1568, Paradesi Jews constructed the Paradesi Synagogue adjacent to Mattancherry Palace, Cochin, now part of the Indian city of Ernakulam, on land given to them by the Raja of Kochi. The first synagogue in India was built in the 4th century in Kodungallur (Cranganore) when the Jews had a merchantile role in the South Indian region (now called Kerala) along the Malabar coast. When the community moved to Kochi in the 14th century, it built a new synagogue there.

Today the Paradesi Synagogue is the only functioning synagogue in Kochi with a minyan (though this minyan must be formed with Jews from outside Kochi, as the number who still reside there is not sufficient). In conformity with the Hindu, St Thomas Christian or Syrian Mappila and Muslim Mappila traditions of Kerala, the worshippers are required to enter the Paradesi Synagogue barefoot. Other facets which are unique to the Cochin Jewish community, and which are results of Hindu influence, include special colours of clothing for each festival, circumcision ceremonies performed at public worship, and distribution of grape-soaked myrtle leaves on certain festivals.

The Paradesi Synagogue has the Scrolls of the Law, several gold crowns received as gifts, many Belgian glass chandeliers, and a brass-railed pulpit. It houses the 10th-century copper plates of privileges given to Joseph Rabban, the earliest known Cochin Jew. These two plates were inscribed in Old Malayalam by the ruler of the Malabar Coast. The floor of the synagogue is composed of hundreds of Chinese, 18th-century, hand-painted porcelain tiles, each of which is unique.

Troyes Synagogue and Rashi’s House Exhibition Tour

In 2016, an extraordinary project was born, hosted in the Troyes Synagogue: providing a “house” for Rashi in his native town, set inside a typical 17th-century Champagne-style background. After four years of work, the results of the synagogue’s restoration are exceptional: visitors are invited to pray under the splendid glass roof of the sanctuary, wander amidst a 2000-square-meter labyrinth of courtyards, halls and cellars and learn about the adventure of this reconstruction. The synagogue of Troyes also invites visitors to immerse themselves in Rashi’s universe, through an ambitious exhibition titled “Rashi’s House”, in which visitors can discover Rashi and his work, thanks to an immersive and innovative digital scenography. This exhibition shares the story of Rashi and his disciples, who were able to transmit the soul of French Judaism far beyond the borders of the Champagne area, influencing rabbinical literature far beyond the 13th century, end of the Tossafists era in Champagne. A recreated oratory and bet hamidrash (study hall) immerse visitors in the medieval Troyes of Rashi. Visitors are also invited to study Rashi’s commentaries on digital devices, creating an innovative interactive experience.

Salom Inn

This inn is conveniently located in the heart of old Bukhara, just 165 ft from Lyab-i Hauz Architectural Complex and right across from the Bukhara Synagogue. Free Wi-Fi, 24-hour front desk and a welcome cup of tea are featured at Salom Inn.The bright, air-conditioned rooms have warm-colored, hand-crafted interiors and traditional Uzbek décor. Each room comes complete with a minibar, a desk, a hair dryer and a private bathroom.Salom Inn Restaurant serves Uzbek cuisine in the hotel’s lovely shaded courtyard. A partner tourist agency can arrange tours and excursions for guests of the Salom.Nodir-Divan-Begi Madrasa is a 2-minute walk away, while Magoki-Attari Mosque and the famous Bukhara Kalon minaret are a 5-minute walk from the inn.Bukhara International Airport is 3 miles from Salom Inn.

A Journey Through The Old Jewish Mahalla of Bukhara

Traditional Bukharian Houses in The Old Jewish Mahalla

In the Middle Ages, Bukhara became the heart of Jewish life in central Asia, as Jews from other communities in the region settled there. By the turn of the twentieth century, the Jewish community of Bukhara was the largest among a network of Jewish minorities in Uzbek cities including Tashkent, Samarkand, Kokand, Andijan, Marghilan, and Navoi. Bukharian Jews were active in establishing trade connections with the Russian Empire and held positions in law, medicine, and local government, while others were well-known musicians, actors, and dancers. Following the Russian Revolution and throughout the Holocaust, Jews from Eastern Europe continued to immigrate to Bukhara to avoid persecution.

Less than 200 Bukharian Jews remain in the old mahallah. The vast majority left Bukhara for Israel and the United States following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Due to this mass exodus and the development of new building techniques, the traditional houses are now under threat of disappearance and are subject to alterations insensitive to their historical significance. The houses were included on the 2020 World Monuments Watch to encourage the documentation and creation of sustainable urban conservation standards for the adaptive reuse of the Bukharian Jewish Houses. – Description and photos by the World Monuments Fund

The Jewish Story of Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Bukhara is an ancient city in the central Asian country of Uzbekistan. It was a prominent stop on the Silk Road trade route between the East and the West, and a major medieval center for Islamic theology and culture. It still contains hundreds of well-preserved mosques, madrassas, bazaars and caravanserais, dating largely from the 9th to the 17th centuries.

Though the community has decreased significantly over the years, the city of Jewish Bukhara once had a thriving Jewish population. The Bukharan Jews are considered one of the oldest ethno-religious groups of Central Asia and over the years they have developed their own distinct culture. Throughout the years, Jews from other Eastern countries such as Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Syria, and Morocco migrated into Central Asia (by way of the Silk Road).

Jewish children with their teacher in Samarkand

While some Bukharan Jews relate their own ancestry to the period of the Assyrian captivity and exiles from the tribes of Naphtali and Issachar, basing this assumption on a reading of “Habor” at II Kings 17:6 as a reference to Bukhara, Bukharan Jewish tradition generally associates their establishment in the country with the emigration of Persian Jews, fleeing the persecutions of King Peroz I (458–485 CE). Some scholars believe Jews settled in Central Asia in the sixth century, but it is certain that during the eighth to ninth centuries they lived in Central Asian cities such as Balkh, Khwarezm, and Merv. At that time, and until approximately the sixteenth century, Bukharan Jews formed a group continuous with Jews of Iran and Afghanistan.

Today, Bukharan Jews represent a small fraction of the total Jewish population in the United States, but the Bukharan community is growing rapidly, especially in Queens, New York. In the past 30 years, the community went from one synagogue to thirty. Out of the total 70,000 Bukharan Jews that are estimated to live in the U.S, approximately 50,000 Bukharian Jews live in Queens, New York.

History of Jewish Synagogue in Bukhara

In the Old Quarter of Jewish Bukhara only two synagogues remained: the nearest and far synagogues. And once there were thirteen. In the 70s, Jews began to leave the Soviet Union, including the countries of Central Asia, and the synagogues were closed. And in Bukhara, the Jewish community has declined significantly: if in the past it consisted of 35,500 people, now there are just over 400 Jews. The rituals in the Bukhara synagogue are virtually indistinguishable from those conducted in Israel. Only bright suzane hanging on the walls tell about the fact that after all this is the synagogue of Bukhara.

The construction of a synagogue in Bukhara is closely connected with the building of a place quite famous all over the world in the city – the architectural ensemble Lyabi House. As Bukhara scientists assert for the first time this story was mentioned in writing by Z.A. Amitin-Shapiro in 1921. The locals told him about this tradition, and it is this, and no other, that is considered the most faithful to this day. In the XVII century, one of the viziers of Imam Quli Khan built a large mosque in the center of the city, the Honako Nodir Divan Begi. Next to the mosque there was a small courtyard belonging to a Jewish widow. Nodir Divan Begi, having decided that instead of her house a large reservoir could well have been built, he turned to her with a request to sell her yard for any fee. But the widow did not succumb to the vizier’s persuasion and refused his offer.

Then Divan Begi turned for help to the Khan, being sure that he would resolve the dispute in his direction, because, as is known, Nodir Divan Begi was the uncle of the Khan. But Imam Quli Khan handed over the consideration of this question to the colleges of muftis who forbade taking the house from the hostess, since the Bukhara Jews paid a tax of “jizya” for the right to preserve their religion and had the same rights as Muslims. The vizier had to confine himself to a reservoir of small size. Then his friends told him to take a small canal (aryk) from the city channel “Shokhrud”, so that it would pass near the Jewish house. The ingenious plan worked. When the water began to wash away the foundation of the house, the woman turned to Nodir Divan Begi, to which he responded with the same conditions. The widow had no heirs and she did not need the money. She agreed to a deal with an official on her own terms, which provided for the issuance of a site for the construction of a Jewish synagogue in Bukhara. Nodir Divan Begi agreed with the woman and gave her his plot of land, which was located not far from her old house. Jews built a synagogue here, and the vizier expanded his reservoir to its present size. It is known that the woman, after the construction of the synagogue, lived on its upper floor, but unfortunately her story did not preserve her name.

Today, the synagogue is also a monument of antiquity and is under state protection. This Bukhara synagogue keeps the Torah, which is 500 years old. The synagogue in Bukhara is visited by many tourists, visitors to the city, and high-ranking officials.

Members of the community of Bukhara Jews piously honor the memory of their ancestors. In the place of honor in the synagogue there are photographs of 18 rabbis who in different years lived in Bukhara.

The Bukharian Cemetery

The Bukhara-Jewish cemetery is located in the area of the “Old town”. The graves are dated back to 1945. The approximate number of graves exceeds 10,000 people. The cemetery consists of several sectors. The state of graves and tombs is good. The relatives who still live in the country visit the graves on holidays and at the date of death.

There are some famous people whose graves are located at the cemetery:

Composer, People’s artist of Uzbekistan Suleyman Yudokov (died in 1990)
Honoured coach of Uzbekistan R.R. Davidov (died in 1963)
Honoured artist of Uzbekistan, professor Yu. Ishokov
People’s artist of Uzbekistan M. Leviev (died in 1990)
Doctor of philology sciences, professor N.M. Mallaev (died in 1996)
People’s artist of Uzbekistan E. Kalantarov (died in 1984)
People’s artist of Uzbekistan M. Yakubova (died in 1987

Old Jewish Mahalla

The Old Jewish Mahalla, Bukhara’s Jewish Quarter, consisted once of three large mahallas – Kuhma-Mahalla (Old), Nav-Mahalla (New) and Amirobad (Emir town). The main entrance to it is this arch at Lyabi-hauz, opposite the ancient (1477) peach tree that has dried up. While several anciet Uzbek cities are made of the narrow twisted roads, none can be compared to the corners of the Jewish Quarter and adjacent Muslim mahallas. Walking through the twisted streets of the Old Jewish Mahalla, you will see beautiful clay homes and some Traditional Jewish Bukharian Houses which are in desprite need of conservation. Many of the homes have carved doors, often with columns or ceiling beams, survived several demolitions and restorations of the house and are more than 300 years old.

Bukhara Old Jewish Cemetery

The Old Jewish Cemetery is Bukhara has more than 10,000 graves from the once thriving Jewish community that inhabited the region. It is located at the West end of Ibrokhim Muminov Street and the entrance can easily be spotted by the blue dome with the Star of David. The cemetery is quite large and contains not only thousands of graves, but a memorial wall of Bukharans who died during WWII, at a time when more than 10% of the Bukharian population were Jews.

Some of the well-known people buried in this cemetery include Composer Suleyman Yudokov (died in 1990), Doctor of philology sciences, professor N.M. Mallaev (died in 1996), Honoured coach of Uzbekistan R.R. Davidov (died in 1963), People’s artist of Uzbekistan E. Kalantarov (died in 1984), and Honoured artist of Uzbekistan, professor Yu. Ishokov.

Archives: Directory listings