The Lodestar in the Journey of Life: An Architectural Metaphor in Kerala Synagogues (India)

The bimah, a platform upon which the Torah is read to the congregation, survives, more or less extant, in the synagogues in the Indian state of Kerala: Paradesi Synagogue and the Kaduvambagam Synagogue (the interior on display in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem) of Mattancherry, in the Thekkumbhagam and Kaduvambagam synagogues of Ernakulam, and synagogues in Parur, Chennamangalam, and Mala .

The bimah is embraced by a tiered balustrade, with a raised frontal side and keyhole-shaped plan idiosyncratic for the synagogues of Kerala. In addition to the bimah occupying the center of the prayer hall, there is another peculiar fixture of these synagogues: an additional stage for reading the Scripture is set in the center of a balcony above the entrance to the prayer hall.

The lecture proposes an origin of the bimah’s and balcony’s unusual form, ground plan and railing. Symbolic allusions of the design will be discussed in the contexts of the history of the local congregations as well as the traditions, folklore and synagogue architecture of Sephardic Jews. Conclusions shed light on the migration of concepts throughout the Sephardi diaspora, revealing aspects of the beliefs and identities of Kerala Jews which were expressed visually.