Ernakulam

Kerala metropolis of Kochi hosted its first Jewish wedding ceremony in 15 years when Racheal Benoy Malakhi married Richard Zachary Rowe on Sunday.

The wedding ceremony ceremony between Rachael, a US-based knowledge scientist with roots in Kerala’s capital metropolis Thiruvananthapuram and Rowe an American NASA engineer was officiated by a Rabbi from Israel and held following Jewish traditions.

Rabbi Aerial Sharon, who arrived from Israel carried out the rituals beneath the ‘chuppah’ (a cover) at a personal resort in Kochi.

“I have come here to perform the wedding for this wonderful couple, Rachel and Richard. It will be a wedding according to the Jewish traditions,” the Rabbi mentioned previous to the ceremony.

“Jewish traditions are based on rules defined in the Jewish Bible. basically, it is that together with God they (the groom and the bride) promise to be husband and wife. That is what a Jewish wedding is all about,” the Rabbi mentioned.

Rachel is the daughter of former Crime Branch Superintendent of Police Binoy Malakhai whereas Richard is a US citizen who works for the house company NASA.

The ceremony was attended by household, associates, and neighborhood members.

The Jewish neighborhood in Kochi that has 25 members, had final hosted a marriage in 2008.

It can be the primary Jewish marriage in Kerala that happened exterior a Jewish Synagogue.

Once Kochi had a big Jewish inhabitants however that has now dwindled with the members of the neighborhood migrating to Israel. Now there are solely 25 Jews who’re everlasting residents of Kerala.

ALSO READ: Srinagar G20 Meeting: Kashmir’s Sahil Santoor to fill the air with music for visitors

The presence of at the very least 10 Jews is required by customized for non secular ceremonies within the Jewish faith. Only 4 Jewish marriages have taken place in Kerala within the final 70 years. The final Jewish wedding ceremony within the State was held on December 28, 2008 on the Thekkumbhagam synagogue in Mattancherry.