Kochi’s Paradesi Jews are now reduced to only one surviving member after the death of 89-year-old Queenie Hallegua in Mattancherry area. The last woman from the Jewish community in Kochi, she died of age-related ailments at her residence on Sunday (August 11).
Now, her nephew Keith Hallegua, 65, will be the sole representative of Kochi’s once-vibrant community, who are ‘white’ Jews with European or middle-eastern blood.
Queenie, who was the wife of the late Samuel H Hallegua, is survived by a son and daughter, both of whom are settled in the US with their spouses and children. Her funeral was held at the Jewish cemetery following the rituals of the community, family sources said.
“She had been unwell for some time. Her children came down to be with her as her health deteriorated. Now there will be a seven-day mourning. After that, in 11 months, they will build a tomb in memory of her,” MC Praveen, the trustee of the Paradesi Synagogue, said.
According to Jewish culture, there is a requirement of 10 male members for such ceremonies, and the funeral was held following the tradition. Two Jews, who were in Fort Kochi as tourists, also took part in the funeral, Praveen said.
She was the daughter of late S Koder, who was considered an iconic member of the Jewish community in the city. She was the warden and managing trustee of the Paradesi Synagogue from 2012 to 2018, and also managing partner of S Koder Private Limited until 2011.
S Koder introduced electricity distribution in Kochi and was also the first to introduce the boat service in the city. He is also credited with setting up the first department store in Kerala.
The Paradesi Synagogue, located in Mattancherry Jew Town, is a historic site that attracts tourists. It was built in 1568 AD by Samuel Castiel, David Belila, and Joseph Levi. It is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations.
Never wanted to leave Kochi to move to Israel
Queenie, whose family’s five generations have lived in Kerala, completed her bachelor’s degree in botany from the St Theresa College in Kerala’s Ernakulam district in the late 1950s. “I was married soon after. Life was very different back then,” she had told News18 back in 2017.
She had spoken about how the creation of Israel in 1948 brought about significant changes in the lives of Jews living in Kochi. And how some members of the community chose to abandon all that they owned in their tiny township and left for Israel.
She had claimed that the Jews in Kerala were among the more fortunate members of the community. Not only were they allowed to practice their religion, they were also given due regard and made an integral part of the society.
Before her husband’s death, the couple would often travel to America and Israel. But, she never wanted to leave India as she was used to living here and her late husband, too, was a patriot and keen on residing in Kochi till his last breath.
Who are the Cochin Jews?
This Jewish community in Kerala is one of the oldest in the global Jewish diaspora. The tradition of the Cochin Jews maintains that after the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 74 AD, some 10,000 Jews fled Palestine and ended up in the state.
The descendants of the original settlers, who integrated well and inter-married with local people, are known as the “black Jews” of Cochin, while those of the European and middle eastern immigrants of the mainly 15th and 16th centuries are the “white Jews.”
The two communities had little to do with each other for centuries, but dwindling numbers eventually forced them to come together. The main exodus occurred in the late 1940s, triggered by the end of World War II, Indian independence and, above all, the creation of the state of Israel.
By 1954, some 60 percent of the Cochin Jews had moved to Israel. The migration continued and, by the late 1970s, 95 percent of the community had left.
(With agency inputs)
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