Summary:
The felicitation programme concluded with the Jews singing national anthems of both Israel and India. But we get a taste of Kochi only during the celebration here,” he said.MP K V Thomas, Kochi corporation councillors, traders and others were present at the function. You can take a Jew out of India, but you cannot take India out of a Jew,” Sassol said.Kenneth Salem, grandson of Jewish Gandhi A B Salem, said Kochi is his home despite living out of India for the past 30 years.“Thursday’s celebration was ‘adipoli.’ We used to hold similar programmes in Israel. I continue to say that wherever my body goes, my soul will go to Fort Kochi, where I spent my childhood days with my parents,” Hallegua said.While Dr Essie Sassol, who left for Israel in 1973, said that she lived with a Muslim friend in Kozhikode while serving as a doctor in Kozhikode Medical College for many years and continued to keep in touch with her till the friend died last year.“I still keep in touch with the family of my friend in Kozhikode. KOCHI: Jew Street continued to bustle with activity following the presence of Jews, who had flown down from various parts of the world to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry.Tourists preferred to stay away from visiting Mattancherry on Friday as the synagogue would be opened to them only after Sunday when the Hanukkah festival ends.Traders at Mattancherry organized a felicitation programme for Jews at a restaurant on Friday evening.Facing the Vembanad Lake, visitors reminisced their childhood days in Mattancherry.David Hallegua, one of the members of Cochin Synagogue Trust, recollected his days with grandparents in Fort Kochi.“My dear ones often ask me where do I want to go to at the fag-end of my life..