KOCHI: Most of the Jews, settled here for over a century, have left seeking greener pastures of their promised land Israel. But Sarah Jacob Cohen is not the one to leave the land of her birth and move to Israel. Though she is the oldest member of the dwindling Jewish community in the state, she takes pride in calling herself a Keralite. Saying that the thought of leaving India never arose even in her remotest dreams, she asks, “How could you leave a place where your heart lies?,” she asks“I am an Indian and this is my place. I was born and brought up here. It has many memories that I clasp to my bosom.”“ I met my husband here. I cannot sever my ties with this country which is a treasure trove of fond memories,” she says, her voice wobbling with emotion.Though age has started taking a toll on her memory, she could talk about her fairy-tale marriage at length. Sarah met her husband Jacob Cohen in Kochi and they tied the knot after much struggle. Despite Cohen being a Jew, her father did not want his daughter to marry a lawyer. “That was a real tough time. In 1942, he took me to Bombay to get me married off the way he wanted. But I heaved a sigh of relief when Cohen came there to take me. He did his level best to convince my father and we got married then and there. I would call it ‘1942: A love story,’” Sarah said coyly.She visited her homeland twice. “I visited Israel long time back, probably in the 70s. Although I am a Jew, I never felt it as my own place. Unlike Keralites, people in Israel seemed cloistered and it took time to get a friendly nod from them. There I realised how affectionate Keralites are,” she says. Though Sarah is fond of Kerala, she never ever budged from her religious vows. “I have never skipped my prayers. It is a bit sad that we cannot offer prayers in the synagogue, as it needs a quorum of 10 men. But it never made me less religious,” she explains. Such religious fervour means that she has problem in procuring non-vegetarian food, as a Jew is not supposed to eat from outside the community. Scaled fish, too, is a taboo. “Earlier, there were Jews who used to provide non-vegetarian food. But when the Jew population started dwindling, it came to an end. I buy canned food exported from Israel,” she says.When asked about the religious chaos that has plagued India, she sighs, “The situation is quite saddening. But India has always been a safe haven for us. I was never apprehensive about our existence here. Thaha and his wife, who help me in my daily chores, are Muslims. I am sure that we would never face any sort of threats from any religion.” She also laments that the last Jewish wedding she witnessed was way back in 1978. “Most of the young people have migrated to Israel. I do not know when I would see another wedding,” she shrugs.Sarah runs a hand-embroidery shop adjacent to the Jewish synagogue, which was built in 1568 when Jewish spice traders set up businesses in this small outpost of the Jewish world.“I knit Jewish caps called kippa. It is a skull cap often worn by Jewish men as they are not supposed to walk bareheaded. It is also worn by women too. This cap is an identity. Without this, the men are not supposed to enter the synagogue,” she said. “I love knitting. I also have special Jewish items like halah cover, mezuza cover and menorah at my store,” she says.
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