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Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue
Former synagogue in Kochi, Kerala, India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Kadavumbhagam Mattancherry Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת; Malayalam: കടവു൦ഭാഗ൦ മട്ടാഞ്ചേരി ജൂതപള്ളി), also known as the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue, is a former Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Mattancherry, a locality in Kochi, in the Ernakulam district, in the coastal state of Kerala, India.
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Abandoned in the 1950s, the former synagogue in to be preserved as a Jewish museum.
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Completed in 1544 CE by the Malabar Jews, it is one of the oldest extant synagogues in India.[1][2][3] The Malabar Jews are the earliest Jewish settlers in India, believed to have arrived as traders in the ancient port city of Muziris.[4][5][6][7] It was the second to be built in Mattancherry, and is one of three synagogues in the area.[5][7][6]
The name of the synagogue is believed to refer to a much older synagogue that once stood in Kodungaloor.[6][7][5][4] The former Kadavumbhagam Synagogue is considered as one of the most ornately carved and decorated of the Malabar Synagogues in Kerala, particularly its wooden furnishes and interior sanctuary.[8][9][7] The name means "by the riverside" and refers to a boat dock that stood opposite the complex until the 1960s.[6][10][8][7] This palli (synagogue) was renowned for its divine miracles and stories associated and was revered by both the Malabar Jews and non Jewish locals.[11][10][12]
In 1955, the entire congregation made aliyah to Israel leaving the synagogue in disuse. It was initially encroached upon and later made into a warehouse for coir storage.[7][2][6][5] The interior furniture and women's bimah were shipped and preserved in the Israel Museum while its hekal is presently in moshav Nehalim in Israel.[6][7][8][10]
In September 2019, after decades of neglect, the entire front portion of the sanctuary collapsed in the heavy monsoon rainfall.[13] After much public outcry,[14] the Kerala Archaeology Department took possession of the monument to save it.[12][13] The former synagogue is being restored to function as a Jewish heritage museum.[9][15][12]
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