The Last Jews Of Kerala

(Paperback)

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Separated by a narrow stretch of swamp-like waters, and distinguished by the colour of their skin, the Black Jews and the White Jews have been locked in a rancorous feud for centuries. Only now, when their combined number has diminished to less than 50 and they are on the threshold of extinction, have the two remaining Jewish communities in south India begun to realise that their destiny, and their undoing, is the same.

Living in Cochin alongside this last generation, Edna Fernandes tells their story from the illustrious arrival of their ancestors from the court of King Solomon, through their long heyday of wealth, tolerance and privilege to their present twilit existence, as synagogues crumble into disuse and weddings disappear, leaving only funerals.

Reviews

A touching, investigative account ... Fernandes movingly captures the sombre, embattled mood of this population in countdown mode * Sunday Times *
Fernandes' material is fascinating ... The story of these Jews is so compelling and the author's reporting of it so assiduous ... Indeed, she has unearthed gems * The Economist *

Author Bio

Edna Fernandes is a British Indian journalist who has worked for many of the leading international news organizations including Reuters in London to the Financial Times in New Delhi. Her articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and International Herald Tribune. Her first book was Holy Warriors.