India

Picture: Hebrew inscription at the Paradesi Synagogue in Cochin

Cochin Jews today: Today most of Cochin’s Jews have emigrated (principally to Israel). Large groups have settled in the Moshav of Nevatim in the Negev (southern Israel) and Moshav of Yuval in the North, in the neighborhood of Katamon in Jerusalem, in Beer Sheva, Dimona and Yeruham.

In both places there are Cochin synagogues. In Kerala there are still three synagogues; the one at Mattancherry, Cochin is still functioning.

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Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews (Malabar Yehudan) are the ancient Jews and their descendants of the former Kingdom of Cochin in South India, including the present day port city of Kochi. They traditionally spoke Judeo-Malayalam, a form of the Malayalam tongue, native to the state of Kerala, in India. Several rounds of immigration of the Jewish diaspora into Kerala led to a diversity amongst the Cochin Jews.