Great experience - Lijo Jose is an excellent tour guide. He let me take my time, he was respectful, knowledgeable, and his English is great. Before the tour I was worried, as a practicing Jew, that my guide would try to explain Judaism to me and he would be wrong, but Lijo did no such thing. He explained the history of Kochi Jews, knew about Judaism enough to give a good honest tour, and was friendly along the way. I was also honored to meet Elias Ben Yosef Chai, one of the last Indian Jews. For any Jew visiting Kochi, this tour is well worth your time.

Jewish Heritage tour of Cochin - Our Jewish Heritage tour of Cochin was outstanding . We did not know a lot about the history of Jews in India before this tour . This tour was very informative and special . Our tour guide Lijo Jose was kind and went out of his way to make sure that we were happy and comfortable. He was very knowledgeable about Jewish history in Cochin . Our driver, Romi was a very safe driver and also very kind . We would highly recommend the tour , our tour guide and our driver for anyone wanted to learn about the Jewish history of Cochin .

Do not miss this tour if you are in India. Very spiritually enriching! - I loved the whole experience. It was very thorough and deeply enriching. I felt transported into a different time and place. The deep faith of the Indian Jewish communities was palpable in each of the synagogues that we visited. Below is the itinerary. I would recommend coming to Cochin, like I did, even for one day to do this 7 hour tour. Cochin Jewish Heritage Tour: According to legend, the history of Kerala’s Jews goes back as far as the time of King Solomon (10th century BC), when trade in exotic items from India such as peacocks, ivory, sandalwood and spices flourished. Many believe that Jews arrived on the Malabar Coast after the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Interestingly, the Christian tradition recounts that when St Thomas arrived on the Malabar Coast in the first century, he attended a wedding in Kodungallur (a port town near Cochin, also called Cranganore). He sang a wedding song in Hebrew, which no one understood, except a local Jewish flute girl. This story seems to prove the existence of Jews on the Malabar coast as early as the first century. The Jewish community in and around Kondungallur enjoyed amicable relationships with local rulers. It grew and prospered over the centuries, building several synagogues. In 1524, because of conflicts with the Portuguese and Arab Moors, they were forced to flee to Cochin. They found protection under the Hindu Raja, who granted them land adjacent to his own palace for a town that became known as "Jew Town”. The Jewish community in Cochin grew significantly during the 16th century with an influx of Sephardic Jews primarily from Spain, Portugal and Holland, escaping the Inquisition. Others emigrated from the Middle East, also escaping persecution. The newcomers were called Paradesi, a word that means foreigner in Malayalam, distinct from the Malabar Jews, who were the original Jewish community of Kerala. Thus in the mid 20th century, Kerala had eight Jewish communities each having its own synagogue. Collectively known as the Cochin Jews, they were divided into two subgroups: The Malabar Jews had seven synagogues, among which two synagogues in Chennamangalam and Parur have been restored and are accessible to tourists. The Paradesi Jews had just one synagogue, which was originally built in 1568 in Cochin, and is the only Jewish house of prayer in Kerala where religious services are still held. After the formation of Israel in 1948, the Cochin Jews migrated to the Promised Land. Only a handful of Jews still live in Kerala today – however, their synagogues, cemeteries, houses and streets still bear witness to their 2000-year old association with India. Tour coverage: This tour covers Jewish sites in the old settlement (prior to the move to Cochin), as well as the sites in Cochin itself. 9:00 a.m. with a drive to Kondungallur, the original trading port where the Jewish community arrived. It takes about 1.5 hours from Cochin, through the countryside. We will visit Chennamangalam, to see the sensitively restored synagogue of the Malabar Jews. Based on Indian building traditions, but influenced by visiting traders and imperialists over the centuries, the Chennamangalam synagogue is a wonderful example of the traditions of Keralan vernacular architecture. This architectural style was adapted to Jewish ritual and liturgical requirements, to produce a synagogue that is simple yet beautifully embellished. Another synagogue nearby in Parur, which was earlier in a state of disrepair, has now been restored, and we will visit that also. After lunch, we will drive to Fort Kochi. Here, we will visit the ‘Jew Town’ area, where Cochin’s Jews were given land by the Cochin raja to build their homes and trading houses. We will visit the Paradesi synagogue, known for its hand-painted tiles and its quaint old chandeliers. We will go on a walking exploration through the narrow streets of this area, to absorb the atmosphere and to see the homes of Cochin’s Jewish community. You can also take a brief look at the Jewish cemetery if interested. We will also visit Kadavumbagam synagogue at Jew street

Great Day in Kochin! - We had an absolutely delightful day with Mr Lijo! His knowledge of the Jewish people of India is exceptional! We spent time touring the Kochin markets and at the two synagogues in Kochin where we spent a good amount of time learning of the Jewish people of the city! We also did a tour of Jew town where we met the gentleman who took good care of a woman named Sarah Cohen. We had a great day with Mr Lijo and highly recommend him for any and all of his tours. Thank you for such a great day of touring! My family and I had a great time!! All the best!!

Superb and memorable introduction to Cochin’s Jewish heritage. - We enjoyed a first class Jewish Heritage tour of Cochin. Lijo was in frequent contact with us as we sailed towards the city and our guide Lakshmi and driver Ranjit provided superb guiding and driving. We were able to see sites not available to the general public. Lakshmi has excellent information about the history of Cochin’s Jewish community. We were treated to a very memorable day.

Fantastic Jewish tour of Cochin - We had a fantastic experience. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the Cochin Jewish community, and Cochin in general.

Jo was the best! Thank... - Jo was the best! Thank you for such an informative tour. Highly recommend. He was very knowledgeable and it made my entire trip.

Superb Tour and Guide - I am a Jewish professional and so know a lot about Jewish history. The tour was fantastic and the tour guide was exceptional. He gave us a lot of history and background that was easy to grasp and very informative. His english was very understandable and his demeanor quite pleasant. A highly recommended tour.

Jewish Heritage Tour - What a wonderful day it was to explore the roots of Jewish culture in Ft. Kochi and the state of Kerala India. The synagogues were of such historic nature that one can envision the thriving community that existed so many years ago. A fulfilling and splendid day it was !

Waste of money - The guide was not informed at all by the tour operator about what the tour was about. The description also mentioned a day tour of 7 hours, while it was less than 5 hours, so half a day. No lunch included. For €125 per person I expected much more. Tour is a joke and tour operator should not be taken seriously.