The Jews of Cochin, a state on the west coast of India, are planning to celebrate the 400th anniversary of their main synagogue in 1968, it was announced at a press conference here today by Samuel S. Koder, president of the synagogue’s tercentennial committee.
Since the Jews have been living in Cochin peacefully and happily for 1,900 years, the community is now making an effort to associate other Indian Jews in the Cochin Jewish celebration. Mr. Koder said. One non-Jewish group, the Kerala History Association, has also agreed to join the celebration, he said. Support for and interest in the forthcoming celebration, he declared, has also been received from the United States and from other parts of the world.
Mr. Koder said that Mrs, Indira Ghandi, India’s Prime Minister, has requested all Indian Governments to extend special facilities to the Cochin Jewish anniversary celebration plans. Mr. Koder said that the Indian Government may also issue a special postage stamp in 1968 to help commemorate the event, and that Mrs. Ghandi as well as the President of India have been invited to attend the celebration. (According to the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, there were about 1,450 Jews in Cochin in 1940.)
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