Jewish Synagogue will be closed to visitors and tourists during Passover.

The Jewish Synagogue , one of the most important tourist attractions in Cochin will be closed to visitors & tourists from Friday the 6th of April 2012 to Saturday the 14th of April 2012 due to the Jewish festival of Passover.

Inside Jewish Synagogue

This Jewish Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth and was built in the year 1568 by Cochin Jewish community. This Synagogue has the scrolls of the Old Testament , several gold crowns received as gifts and many Belgian glass chandeliers. The copper plates in which the grants of privilege made by the Kochi rulers were recorded and the exquisite Chinese hand-painted tiles are well preserved in the synagogue and are of interests to the tourists. This synagogue is also known as Mattancherry Synagogue.

During the war of 1662 the synagogue was partially destroyed but was rebuilt by the Dutch soon. A clock tower was also added between 1998 and 1999. The synagogue stays open from 10 am to 12 noon and from 3.00 pm to 5 pm on all days except on Saturdays and Jewish holidays.

What Is Passover?

Pass over is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Pass over, an eight day festival is celebrated  from the 15th through the 22nd of the month of Nisam in the Jewish calendar. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God saw the distress of Israel people and given numerous warning to  Pharaoh , the King to release the Israelite slaves. Pharaoh refused to listen to his command and then God sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying everything from their livestock to their crops. The tenth and worst of the plagues was the slaughter of the first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this,the Lord “passed over” these homes, hence the name of the holiday.

In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten and thus it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread", which is a symbol of the holiday.

The first two days and last two days are full-fledged holidays. Holiday candles are lit at night, and kiddush and delicious  holiday meals are enjoyed and  do not go to work.The middle four days are called chol hamoed, semi-festival days, during which work is permitted.