Paradesi Synagogue and Jew Town in Kochi

Paradesi Synagogue and Jew Town

Kochi, India

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Construction started
1568
Type
Synagogue in Kochi, India

Visitor information

People also ask

Who are the Paradesi Jews in Kochi?

The Paradesi Jews of Cochin traded in spices. They are a community of Mizrahi Jews and Sephardic Jews settled among the larger Cochin Jewish community located in Kerala, a coastal southern state of India. Paradesi Jews of Madras (now Chennai) traded in Golconda diamonds, precious stones, and corals.

Why is the Paradesi Synagogue important?

The Paradesi Synagogue is highly significant as it is the oldest functional Jewish synagogue in the British Commonwealth. It has immense historical value dating back to its construction by Sephardic Jews fleeing Spanish exile in 1568.