Daily Archives: December 26, 2017

It’s a quiet Hanukkah for Josephai and Ofera, at this little known Jewish Synagogue at Kochi

Not many know about the Kadavumbhagam Jewish synagogue, which sits quietly hidden behind a plant nursery in Kochi, between Market Road and Broadway. The synagogue is not internationally known like the one at Mattancherry, but amazes you with its architectural beauty, once you step inside.

Last week, the caretakers of the synagogue, Josephai Babu Elias and Ofera Elias, celebrated the Jewish festival Hanukkah all by themselves at the synagogue. Every evening after sundown from December 14 to 20, Josephai lit the customary Hanukkah lamp placed at the entrance, reading from the Torah, the Hebrew Bible, thereafter. The lamp has eight wicks, and each evening, one additional wick is lit till the last day, when all eight are lit.

“The lamp commemorates a miracle; it was lit with oil for just one day but lasted for eight days. During Hanukkah, it is kept at the entrance of every home and synagogue so that the light falls on it,” says Ofera.

Hanukkah is one of the most important of Jewish festivals, and is usually celebrated by families getting together to exchange gifts, have specially prepared foods, sing hymns and play the dreidal, a kind of dice game. For Josephai and Ofera, their two daughters have moved to Mumbai and Israel respectively, and so there isn’t much of a celebration.

But Josephai remembers how they used to burst crackers during Hanukkah, in his childhood. “We never had a dreidal but played a board game brought from Iraq, with manjadi seeds. My mother used to make pastel and hubba, rice stuffed in onion.”

He is also one of the only four people in Kochi who know to read the Torah today. “When I was small, my grandmother would try to get me and my brother to read the Torah with her and learn Hebrew better but we were least interested and would doze off. I regret not mastering it now,” he says.

Ofera grew up in Mumbai, among a large Jewish community and also studied in a Jewish school, so she too has learnt Hebrew. “For Hanukkah, we would make foods made in oil and celebrate together. This time, I just made batata fritters. If friends visit us from Israel, they bring us chocolate gold coins which are gifted during Hanukkah. This time, there were no visitors, though,” she says.

The synagogue, which dates back to 1200 AD, has seen numerous burglaries and renovations before reaching its current state. Looked after by a trust made of Josephai and his brothers, its pillars on the front face the direction of Jerusalem, and the 10 huge windows signify the Ten Commandments. The balcony upstairs was where women used to be seated, away from the vision of the men. The rooms in the front housed a Hebrew medium school, till 1948. “Thieves destroyed the building and stole the original brass lamps. I have ordered new ones from Israel. I have also re-laid the floor tiles, with handmade ones from Karaikudy, Tamil Nadu.”

Any Jew can drop in and offer their prayers at the synagogue, and often, foreign tourists from Israel drop by, they say.

Doesn’t Josephai wish to move to Israel as well? “At the age of 14, I wanted to, but my grandmother stopped me as she wanted someone to conduct the rites, as my father had died two years ago. In 1983, I tried to move again, but was again stopped, by my mother.”

 Today, he holds the Jewish traditions close to his heart, but feels that one’s motherland is the best place to be. “Perhaps it was my destiny because God wanted someone to take care of this synagogue and make it more beautiful,” he says, as he and Ofera step out of the synagogue, kissing the Mezuzah, the leather parchment pasted on the door.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Kochi News / by Asha Prakash / December 23rd, 2017

Central Library’s reading challenge gets good response

Kerala state central Library (File)

Thiruvananthapuram:

The valedictory function of the Reading Challenge, a New Year resolution activity launched by State Central Library, Palayam for students would be held on Friday.

The library had created a special collection of around 500 books in Malayalam and English in the Children’s Library section, for the reading challenge. In the challenge, the participants have to read as many books from the collection, by the end of the year. The aim of the programme is to inculcate the habit of reading among students.

The library had conducted reading sessions where the children presented a review of the books they had read and a reading camp led by well-known writers. Nearly 600 students had enrolled in the programme.

“It was noticed that people mostly visited the library only for preparing for competitive examinations and it was planned to create an interest in the library members to read classics, which led to the reading challenge. The reading sessions received good response from students. It gave them a platform to talk about their favourite authors and share their views on books,” said state librarian, Shobhana P K.

A programme titled, ‘Vayanakku Vendi’, will be held as part of the concluding session, where the participants would get a chance to present their creative works like short stories and poems. “The session was included, following the demand from the parents,” she said.

A wide range of programmes is planned by the library authorities for next year. With the construction of the new building in the library campus, it is planned to shift the Malayalam and English fiction section from the main building and dedicate a space for the reading challenge.

“The reading challenge will be continued every year. We hope that along with students, other members of the library will participate in the reading challenge next year,” added Shobhana.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Thiruvananthapuram News / TNN / December 24th, 2017