First Jewish wedding in Kochi in 15 years: a rabbi from Israel, 300 guests

The ceremony could not take place inside the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry since it is a heritage site and has restrictions on the number of people that can enter the building at a given time. This marriage marked the fifth Jewish wedding in Kochi the last 70 years

(From left) Manjusha Miriam Emmanuel (bride's mother), Binoy Malakhi (bride's father), Anna Riaa Binoy (bride's sister), Rachel Binoy Malakhi (bride), Richard Zachary Rowe (groom), Rabbi Aryeal Tsion, Sandy Rowe (groom's mother), Richard Rowe (groom's father) and Zane Row (groom's brother) seen on the day of the wedding. (Photo by Narayanan S)

Written by: Narayanan S

5 min readKochiMay 22, 2023 10:12 PM IST First published on: May 22, 2023 at 07:05 AM IST

On the banks of the picturesque Kumbalam lake, the first Jewish wedding in Kochi in 15 years — only the fifth in the last 70 years — was solemnised this Sunday. Under a canopy dripping with red and yellow flowers, Rachel Binoy Malakhi and Richard Zachary Rowe, Jews of Indian and American origin respectively, made their marriage vows and exchanged rings.

While it is rare for a Jewish wedding in Kochi to take place outside the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, which is famous for its Jew Town and Jewish legacy, accommodating 300 guests in the heritage site was impossible. “The synagogue is a heritage site now and there is a restriction on the number of people that can enter the building at a given time. Also, only minimal decorations are allowed there,” said Rachel.

As guests enjoyed the pleasant evening drizzle in the sprawling but covered courtyard of Ramada Resort, Rabbi Aryeal Tsion, who flew down from Israel for the wedding, united the couple in holy matrimony.

The daughter of retired police officer Benoy Malakhi and clinical psychologist Manjusha Miriam Immanuel, Rachel met Zachary, or Zach as he is called, during their college days in the US about four years ago. Rachel is now a data scientist, while Zach is an aerospace engineer. The duo are set to return to the US in a few days.

Rachel said they both wanted to have the wedding in Kochi, where she spent parts of her childhood. “We could have organised it in the US and invited our families to come there. But we wanted to ensure that people from our community who have dedicated decades of their life here, our friends and well-wishers also get to be a part of it. It was a mutual decision taken by both families.”

Richard Zachary Rowe and Rachel Binoy Malakhi met during their college days in the US about four years ago. Rachel is a data scientist, while Zach is an aerospace engineer. (Photo by Narayanan S)

“My family was really excited to come to Kochi. They had heard a lot about Kerala and this was a chance to experience first-hand its beautiful landscape and culture. They have been loving every minute of it,” said Zach. His wedding party comprises nearly 17 people, including his father, mother, brother and friends.

Wedding rituals

Talking about choosing Rabbi Tsion to officiate her wedding, Rachel said he has close links with the Jewish community in the country. “I have known him since childhood. He would visit the Jewish families in Kochi. When I told him that I was getting married, he was more than willing to come to Kochi to officiate the wedding,” she said.

The rabbi said, “I have been to Andhra Pradesh and Erode in Tamil Nadu, where I am closely associated with the Jewish community. I have officiated six weddings in India, but this is the first time I am officiating one in Kerala.”

A Jewish wedding is typically a week-long affair, but due to time constraints, this one was limited to just the rituals on the day of the wedding, such as signing the ketubah (the marriage contract) and breaking the glass. “Because of travel and other constraints, we decided to limit most of the rituals to the wedding day itself. But we made sure that we observed a fast on the day of the wedding,” said Rachel.

The last Jewish wedding in the city took place in 2008, when Shelemo from Kochi married Susan from Mumbai at the Mattancherry synagogue. The one before that was solemnised in 1987.

Groom Richard Zachary Rowe, bride Rachel Binoy Malakhi and their parents look on as Rabbi Aryeal Tsion officiates their wedding in Kochi on Sunday.

The rarity of these weddings indicates the community’s dwindling population, At one point, it was estimated to be around 3,000 people, but the population is down to just 25 or so, that too primarily people over the age of 70. The Jewish community in Kochi lost its oldest member, 96-year-old Sarah Jacob Cohen in 2019.

The Jews who settled in Mattancherry are believed to have come from Europe during the Edict of Expulsion (a royal decree issued by Edward I of England in 1290 expelling all Jews from the Kingdom of England), enacted in Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries. By the 17th century, the Jews in Kerala had set up synagogues in Mattancherry, Ernakulam, Paravoor, Mala, Chendamangalam and Angamaly.

They also constructed mansions and buildings in Jew Town, many of which have now been converted to heritage hotels and offices. After the birth of Israel in 1948, many Jews from Kochi started going to their “promised land”. With that, the Jewish population in the area dipped each year. In fact, the weekly prayer service at the synagogue could not be held often due to the inadequate number of male members.

These shores may never witness another Jewish wedding in the future — something that bothers Rachel and her family. She said, “We don’t want to wait for many years to see another Jewish wedding here. There are many youngsters in the community across the country and the world. We hope our wedding serves as motivation for them to return to their roots, at least for special occasions such as weddings.”