The Malabari Jews of Kerala: a Study in Cochin
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THE MALABARI JEWS OF KERALA: A STUDY IN COCHIN A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of degree of MASTERS IN SOCIOLOGY 2017-2019 Submitted By Jahnavi Nair Exam code: SO245 Candidate Code: 56016115005 Subject Code: 560 UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF Dr. SAJI P. JACOB LOYOLA COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, TRIVANDRUM- 695017, KERALA UNIVERSITY OF KERALA DECLARATION I, JAHNAVI NAIR , do hereby declare that the dissertation titled“The Malabari Jews of Kerala: A study in Cochin” is based on the original work carried out by me and submitted to the University of Kerala during the year 2017-2019 towards partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree Examination in Sociology. It has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, fellowship or other similar title of recognition before any university or anywhere else. Thiruvananthapuram Ms. Jahnavi Nair 23/09/2019 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL This is to certify that the work embodied in this dissertation entitled “The Malabari Jews of Kerala: A study in Cochin” has been carried out by Ms. Jahnavi Nair of fourth semester, Master of Sociology under my supervision and guidance that is hereby approved for submission. Dr. Saji P Jacob Staff Guide Department of Sociology Loyola College of Social Sciences Thiruvananthapuram Recommended for forwarding to the University of Kerala Dr. Nisha Jolly Nelson Head of the department of Sociology Loyola College of Social Sciences Thiruvananthapuram Recommended for forwarding to the University of Kerala Dr. Saji P. Jacob Principal Loyola College of Social Sciences Thiruvananthapuram 23/09/2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This dissertation is a result of the right blend of guidance and help received from many individuals which has increased my knowledge dimensions. Therefore, I would like to thank all those who helped me to accomplish this study. I thank the Almighty, for giving me enough strength, patience, perseverance and the right attitude to pursue this study satisfactorily. I thank my family, who supported me through thick and thin, motivating me and enabling me to complete this endeavour. This study would not have happened without the guidance and support of my research guide, Dr.Saji P. Jacob, Sociology Department, Loyola College of Social Sciences, Trivandrum. I admire his optimism and the faith he had in me for undertaking this dissertation. I express my sincere gratitude towards him for his timely guidance, useful comments and constant encouragement. I extend my wholehearted gratitude to Dr. Nisha Jolly Nelson, Head of the department of Sociology, who have helped me immensely, and for their support, assistance and guidance whenever required during several junctures of my research. I am indebted to all the participants who have participated in this research, and my friends who spared their precious time and energy to help take this project to fruition. I am privileged to be a student of Loyola College for having provided me such a great learning experience which sparked my interest in research field. Jahnavi Nair MA Sociology TABLE OF CONTENTS Sl.No Content Page Number 1 Abstract 1 2 Introduction 2-7 Introduction Significance of the study 3 Review of literature 8-15 Review of Literature 4 Methodology 16-19 Case Study Design Data Collection Methods Title Central Research Question Specific Research Questions Limitations of the Study 5 Data Presentation and Analysis 20-33 6 Findings and Conclusion 34-39 7 References 42-44 ABSTRACT Religion is an important factor in the cultural scenario of India. Religion plays a vital role in marking its Unity in Diversity, a unique possession of India. We have religions which took birth here as well religions which came to India from other lands. One such religion is of the Jews who migrated to India a way back. They are a culture who was constantly on the run, leaving behind their motherland. The promise of a distant “Promised Land” is what unites them. This research is an attempt to examine the situation of one of the religious, migrated population of India, the Jews of Cochin. The research has attempted to highlight this group of people from their historical-religious perspective. This also looks how they live in close harmony with the Non-Jewish, local community of Cochin and the present relationship statuesque between the black and white. The study makes use of both primary and secondary data. The primary data has been collected from the existing and available Jew Community settled and scattered in different part of Cochin which actually comprises of a total of 22. The data have been collected through un-structured personal interviews. It provides historical information, demographic and socio-economic profiles, and their levels of integration with the local people, Jewish cultural-religious practises and an analysis of the framework of the Indian Jewish population living in Cochin. 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 2 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION We live in this world,a place that is unique in its own sense, a combination of multiple institutions, cultures, cultural patterns, religions, languages, customs, races etc. It is an amalgamation of all these institutions,along with the Humans that altogether represents the world. The world categorizes its people based on many factors. It differentiates and understand its people through social institutions and their functioning. Among the identified social institutions that stands out as markers, which clearly makes humans different from other living organism in the world is definitely unique for them and practiced by them - Religion. “A religion is a set of spiritual beliefs about two key aspects of life: concern with the ultimate meaning of human existence; and an identification with a supernatural power beyond the limits of the human and natural worlds” (UNESCO 1991) Religion in a way is a social institution where people is said to be or expected in worship of a personal, God or Gods. It has a particular system of faith and worship where people follow rituals, customs and practices, that are rigidly associated with them. It is the one force that has the power to unite and divide millions. RELIGION IN INDIA India is a land of numerous religions, castes, linguistic and ethnic minorities which are associated to distinct sub-cultures, belief systems and regions.The Indian religions are characterized by its diversity of religious beliefs and associated practices. Of the identified eight religions, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, the first four belongs to the Indian sub-continent and India can be called as their birth place.The religions in India are also called Dharmic Religions.According to the census report of 2011, 80.5 percentage of the population are Hindus, 13.4 percentage are Muslims, 2.3 percentage are Christians, 1.9 percentage are Sikhs, 0.8 percentage belong to the Buddhist community and 0.4 percentage are the Jains. The rest 0.6 percentage is of other religious communities. 3 This makes India unique from all the other countries of the world. The assimilation of all these diverse cultures and its communities is the crux of Unity in Diversity which stands out as India’s most appreciable and attracting factor. Of the myriad cultures that has been seen and located in different parts of the world, the traditional religious community that makes itself stand apart different from othersis the Jews. The Jews are a cultural community whose traditional religion is Judaism. Their origin can be traced through the Hebrew – the ancient people of Israel. The Jewish community is an old one with reference not only to India, but also other parts of the world.Jews are scattered into different regions of this world. It is their religion and the promise of the distant “Promised Land” that has held the community together in all the hardships they had to face. JEWS IN INDIA The Jews are one of the most ancient community of the world.India has the fourth largest Asian Jewish community after Israel, Asian Russia, and Iran. Today, oneof the smallest of all Jewish communities in the diaspora is the Cochin Jews in Kerala. India is the most unique among other countries in regard to its attitude towards the Jews. The Jewsare not looked down upon in any way and are considered as significant as any other Indian minorityreligions. Nature of the Indian culture and its acceptance of diversity, has given the Jews a homewhich is not like any that they have known before. Due to the whole hearted inclusion of the Jewcommunity into the rest of the Indian population, the Jews have now developed several characteristicsof the Indian population in general. According to statistical records and migration studies, India has the fourth largest Asian-Jewish community after Israel, Asian-Russia and Iran. The “Black Jews” also known as Malabari Jews, were the first Jews to land on the Indian shores about a thousand years ago. They sailed from Israel during the reign of King Solomon on a trade mission to purchase spices, apes, peacocks and precious metals. The “White Jews” or Paradesi (foreign) Jews were Sephardi immigrants. Theyalong with a few other Jews from Europe, Yemen and Iraq, arrived after the Roman capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Templearound 16th century.Analyzing in depth, the Jews cannot be called a minority community as they are spread across numerous parts of the world and especially in India. Filtering deep down to their early traits of coming and settling down and adopting to different styles of life, culture and geography, Kochi stands out as their first choice for their habitation. 4 In India the attitude towards the Jews has been one of tolerance and respect. They are not looked down upon and are considered as a minority community even though they are not officially given minority status by the government.