Ancient Fragments Bring to Life All But Vanished Indian Jewish Community

J-WEEKLY
By Dan Pine

Torah ark fromn Tekkumbhagam Synagogue photos/courtesy of magnes collection

CALIFORNIA---A scalloped wooden doorframe inscribed with passages from Psalms and ornamented with lotus blossoms. A 13-foot-tall Torah ark painted in maharajah red and gold. These architectural fragments are all that’s left of the 17th-century Tekkumbhagam Synagogue that once stood in the Indian state of Kerala. The objects symbolize a nearly vanished community of Jews that lived in southern India for centuries. They are two of 120 pieces on display in “Global India: Kerala, Israel, Berkeley,” a new exhibition at the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life. [link]