Centuries-old synagogue in India holds a service for first time in decades

A nearly 900-year-old synagogue recently held its first sabbath service since 1972 in one of the diaspora’s most far-flung places: the coastal Indian city of Cochin.

Kadavumbagam Synagogue drew participants from four continents for what could be the last such observance in a region whose once-thriving Jewish communities have mostly migrated to Israel.

“I’m very sad to see communities disappear,” said Yehoshua Sivan, who came from Israel for the service. “On the other hand, I’m very happy to see that after all these years of dispersion the prophecy of the return to the land of Israel is in my time—I’m part of it—is being realized. At least we see how life was once here.”