When a Jewish journalist visited Kochi a few years ago, researcher Shalva Weil reported that only two Jews were living in the city, a dramatic decline from around 3,000 in the 1950s.
On Sunday, Queenie Halegua, one of the last remaining Jews of Kochi, passed away at the age of 89. After her death, her nephew Keith Halegua is now considered the last Jew in Kochi.
Queenie played an important role in preserving Kochi’s Jewish heritage. She served as the warden and managing trustee of the historic 450-year-old Pardesi Synagogue in Mattancherry from 2012 to 2018, and was also its director until 2011.
She was closely connected to the heritage property Koder House, a boutique hotel once owned by her grandfather Shabdai Samuel Koder, an Iraqi Jewish immigrant who settled in Kochi in the early 20th century. He later became a well-known businessman and owned the local electric company. The property was later sold and remains a popular heritage hotel for visitors today.
Queenie and her late husband Sammy also welcomed Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during their visit to the Paradesi Synagogue in October 1997, one of the most notable royal visits to Kochi’s Jewish heritage site.