Calligrapher and historian Thoufeek Zakriya on how his story entwined with history of Jews in Kochi

The historic Jew Street in Mattancherry, Kerala, is home to the Paradesi Synagogue, originally built in 1568 and later reconstructed and expanded over the years. It has served generations of a Jewish congregation primarily composed of Sephardic immigrants to Kochi from Europe and Western Asia, which is why "Paradesi" (foreigner) is part of its name. In 1999, Thoufeek Zakriya, a 10-year-old Muslim boy holding his father’s hand, stepped onto Jew Street for the first time and was captivated. That boy grew up to become an acclaimed Jewish calligrapher and historian, dedicated to preserving the history of the Jews of Malabar. Today, he still carries the same curiosity that first drew him to Jew Street.
A story by Nirmal Jovial
#calligrapher #calligraphy #history #jewtreet #kochi #historyofkochi #sarahcohen #israel
Subscribe to THE WEEK Magzter: mgztr.co/TheWee...
Explore our website: www.theweek.in/
Interact with us on our social media channels:
Facebook: / theweekmag
Twitter: / theweeklive
Telegram: t.me/theweekma...
Single issue purchase link subscribe.mano...
Subscription link
subscribe.mano...
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK MAGAZINE, PLEASE CONTACT US
Regional Offices Contact Numbers
Delhi- 011 23354920, 23354921
Mumbai- 022 - 24900844, 62965900
Kolkata- 9656843600
Chennai- 044 66918530/31/32
Bangalore- 080 - 22247735/36
Hyderabad- 040-23322970 / 09849390776
Sub regional offices Contact Numbers
Coimbatore- 2241911
Patna- 8210738538
Lucknow- 9873437363
Chandigarh- 9417310727
Bhopal- 0755 2988036
Jaipur- 94616 28972
Pune- 9881477305
Ahmedabad- 9898231881
Toll Free number 1800- 1035-981