With the advent of December and the festive season setting in, the small close – knit community of Jews in Kochi are gearing up to celebrate Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights at Koder House, Kochi. Kochiites are given a chance to be part of the Jewish customs through this festival.The story of the celebration dates back to over 2000 years ago when Judea, the land of Israel was part of the Greek Syrian Empire. Under the tyrannical rule of the Syrian King, Judaism was outlawed, Jews were persecuted and the soldiers of the kingdom descended upon Jerusalem and desecrated the Holy Temple of the Jews. The Jews rose up in retaliation and successfully drove the Syrians out of Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BC. Their leader Judah emphasised the reconstruction of the altar and purgative of the Holy Temple by illuminating of Menorah, the Jewish candelabrum using the meagre volume of unblemished olive oil that endured enough to keep the candles to burning for a day. Nevertheless, in a astounding turn of events, the flames constantly burnt for eight nights at the conclusion of which the sages declared the festivity of a yearly eight – day festival. Thus the Jewish tradition of Hannukah was born to commemorate the rededication of the temple and as a celebration of Jewish permanence. It is a festival contrary to the acclimatisation and conquest of the Jewish religion.The venue, Koder House is the reinstated dwelling of one of Kochi’s eminent businessmen, S Koder, who is keeping the ancient tradition of Jews together Yayal Halakhah is the only Jewish person existing to achieve the day-to-day affairs of the temple constructed in 1567 for a prosperous Jewish community in the Mattancherry area of Kochi. “We scarcely have six people here” in Mattancherry and “four of them are over 70, and two are in their 40s,” said Yayal. Two thousand years later and almost 3000 miles away, in a land where the air is infused with the fragrance of cloves, the festival finds a new light. The Jews of Cochin are preparing to celebrate the festival of Jewish permanence even as their population dwindles. “There are approximately thirty of us in Ernakulam and we thought to rejoice the festival together this year,” says Josephai Abraham (Sam) the president of Kerala Jews Association. “According to the Jewish Calender, the festival begins on December 12 this year and will last for eight days. We thought to light candles and offer prayer at the Synagogue on the first day and join collectively in my house on the sixth day”, he said.Hannukah celebration involves the lighting of Hannukiyah, a nine branched candelabrum over eight days. On each night, a lighted candle is added to the candelabrum over which prayers are recited. Jewish festivals and customs were admired and perceived by the Jews as well as the other communities before the large scale relocation of the Jews from Kochi in the 1950s. “In those days the whole of Jew Town in Ernakulam would observe Sabbath and all the festivals with utmost reverence,” Josephai reminisces.Only about thirty Jews remain in the state as most of the younger crowd has left for Israel. The symbols and monuments of the community, the evidence of a millennia- old culture, face the threat of desecration. Even as the Jewish tradition and culture in Kerala stand at the brink of extinction, the community has come together to celebrate the festival of permanence.A disappearing communityWhile some historians assert that the Jewish people have been migrating to south-western India since the time of King Solomon, historical archives show the first colonisers came after the obliteration of Jerusalem’s Second Temple in 70 AD, at Cranganore, a prehistoric harbour near Cochin. But “there are only 27 Jews now” in the state and “only four of them can read the Jewish law called the ‘Torah’,” said Meluha Josephai, who is in his 60s.India was once a home for the Jewish community, who settled at different cities like Kolkatta,Mumbai and Chennai. It was from there these settlers carried out their commercial business. But now the scenario is changed.India’s Jewish community has fallen to about 100, Josephai added.Almost a century past there were more than 70 synagogues in India. “Over the years hundreds have drifted, and several hundreds have got wedded to folks from other religions. We are a declining community. In a few years there will be nobody,” he said .One of Josephai’s two spawns — Keya, 25, is the youngest Jewish person in Kerala and the elder one is in Ezrael. Jospehai said he also tried to move to another place “but the Almighty had his plans,” said Josephai.”It was in 1972, that the last Sabbath prayer in the synagogue was held.. But I still light the Hanukkah lamp here,” Josephai said indicating to the locked wooden doors of the synagogue.Inside the synagogue there are cyphers of abandonment, with cobwebs drooping from the walls. Old and idle bleachers are collected on both sides and the tatty curtains of the Holy of Holies suspends are covered in dust and grime.In spite of this, Yayal and Josephai are strong-minded to rejoice the festival. “We prepare distinctive food,” Josephai said defining the distinct oily cooked dishes related with the Hanukah festival.