The Oldest Synagogue in the Commonwealth

Well I almost forgot to mention:

When I was back in Fort Cochin Assaf and I decided to go to shule on Friday night. I got all dressed up (put on pants instead of shorts) and fished my kippa out of my backpack and we caught a rickshaw back to the heart of Jewtown. But this time there would actually be some Jews here!

We walked down the narrow alley that leads up to the synagogue and immediately there was a special feeling. The synagogue I had visited a week or so before didn't feel like a shule, it was more like a strange museum piece. But now on Friday night with the candelabras all lit and the sun setting the room look more like a shule then any I had ever been to. The transformation was unbelievable. After half an hour about 40 people had turned up, Israeli backpackers, English couples in their 60s, even a young married couple from Melbourne.

The service started, lead by the too locals, it was a mumbled and jumpy service, page numbers jumped back and forth and many (all) of the popular prayers were cut out in an effort to minimize the length of the service. It didn't matter though. Just being there, reciting the Amidah in the middle of India in a 400 year old shule was something special.

After the service the chazan opened the carved red and gold doors of the elaborate Arc and revealed the 4 Sphardic Sefer Torahs. He opened one of the Torahs and allowed us to approach to see the parchment one at a time.