Mansoor and Amin are brothers from Alleppey and they have a modest shop in Jew Town. They are Muslims, but were very glad to know that me and my brothers are Jewish and began talking about their families. Their niece is studying Medicine at King's College in London and that another niece is studying Medicine in Bangalore.
what impresses me is the genuine open hearts they have , to pour out their good feelings to us, two total strangers, jews to boot but to them, our relationship with them is what matters.
Along the street, which now have vendors from faraway Kashmir dominating the trade, we tried to get some Sandal Oil and the best was at the store of Mansoor and Amin, with a good price to boot.
Of course my Cuban connection endears me to them, whether or not they are Communists but Cochinites have uniformly good feelings towards Cuba.
While our trade transaction was modest, at the end of our conversation, we felt as if we were friends and they wanted to us to come and meet their family! I in return told them that I would be available if any of the budding doctors in the family needed some career advice.
Nowhere in the world have I been where a Jew is welcome as they are in Fort Cochin by the inhabitants. In the millenial history of Jews in these coasts they had never suffered anti semitism from the local people, the only time they were discriminated were when the Portuguese brought in their Inquisition and started burning people on stage.
The people of Jew Town and Fort Cochin are genuinely interested in the Jewish people of the world. Not once any one of them connect us with Israel or Palestine but showed respect for the achievements of the Jewish people they had learned about.
Of course my Cuban connection endears me to them, whether or not they are Communists but Cochinites have uniformly good feelings towards Cuba.
Nowhere in the world have I been where a Jew is welcome as they are in Fort Cochin by the inhabitants. In the millenial history of Jews in these coasts they had never suffered anti semitism from the local people, the only time they were discriminated were when the Portuguese brought in their Inquisition and started burning people on stage.
The people of Jew Town and Fort Cochin are genuinely interested in the Jewish people of the world. Not once any one of them connect us with Israel or Palestine but showed respect for the achievements of the Jewish people they had learned about.
