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Kochi of Kerala witnessed an ordinary cultural occasion on the evening of Sunday, May 21: the city’s first Jewish wedding in 15 years.
Rachel Benoy Malakhi, a Jewish woman of Indian descent, and Richard Zachary Rowe, who belongs to the Indiana network in the United States, were married under a chuppah in the presence of their friends and circle of relatives at a hotel in Kochi.
Rachel is a knowledge scientist working in the United States, while Zachary is an aerospace engineer. They met in the United States about 4 years ago.
Rachel and Zacahry.
(Photo: Access via The Quint)
The last such marriage took place in 2008, when a Jewish man from Kochi married a Mumbai woguy at the Paradesi synagogue in Mattancherry. history.
Speaking about the rituals involved, Rachel’s mother, Manjusha Emmanuel, told The Quint:
Manjusha is a practicing psychologist founded in Kochi and her husband Benoy Malakhi is a retired police officer. He added: “The ceremonies of the other Jews possibly vary from position to position. In Köchi, we dipped our rings in a glass of wine. “before we get married, and those rings will bear the couple’s names and wedding date.
The ceremony, which lasts about 40 minutes, also involves reading verses in ancient Hebrew and making songs, he said. Rabbi Aryeal Zion, who traveled from Israel to marry, married the couple.
Rachel with her parents.
(Photo: Screenshot)
But there were also some deviations from culture: Rachel’s is the first Jewish wedding in Kochi to take place in a synagogue. Generally, network weddings are held at the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry.
Rachel and her circle of family had been in the UK for years. Some time ago, her parents and younger sister returned to Kochi, while she moved to the United States for graduate studies.
“Rachel sought after her wedding to take up a position in Kochi. Kochi is our home, no matter what. And the Jewish network here is one of the oldest in India. Their resolve is to keep the culture going,” Manjusha said.
In fact, the wedding was planned for 2021, but was postponed due to COVID. “Because of the restrictions at the time, it wasn’t easy to travel. There was also a rite in the United States, for Zach’s family. “Manjusha also said that this was Zachary’s first stop in Kerala.
(At The Quint, we are accountable to our audience. We play an active role in shaping our journalism through the onboarding of a member. Because the fact is to value it).
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