KOCHI: Two relatively overlooked yet culturally significant buildings on Kochi’s historic Synagogue Lane – the former residences of Rahabi Ezekiel and Abraham Barak Salem – have been given a fresh lease of life. “We have turned them into hotels and a cafe space,” says Jose Dominic, their current owner.
In any other circle, the repurposing would have invoked the argument that the socio-cultural fabric of the region, namely its Jewish legacy, is being eroded. But, not with Jose.
Drawing on his experience running and managing CGH Earth, an eco-friendly heritage hospitality company, he has taken extensive care to retain the old charm of the two buildings, with help from his daughter, Mridula, a trained architect.
“This is a historic lane, and these buildings were residences of extraordinary men who, in their own ways, shaped this region, the then Cochin, and beyond,” Jose tells TNIE.
In adding functionality to these buildings, he adds, “We are livening up the space, amplifying their previous owners’ individual and shared stories, and conserving the buildings for the future.”
Indeed, Rahabi Ezekiel was one of the most influential Jewish figures in 18th century Cochin. A wealthy trader dealing in pepper and opium, he served for decades as the principal Jewish agent and intermediary of the Dutch East India Company, liaising with the rulers of Cochin and Travancore.
He was also a major patron of the Paradesi Jewish community, financing repairs and embellishments to the Paradesi Synagogue, including its clock tower and imported floor tiles.
“This legacy is preserved in our own ways; in a similar replica of the clock tower and the Chinese hand-painted floor tiles, which his residence now houses,” Jose said.
A B Salem was a lawyer, legislator and social reformer, widely remembered as the ‘Jewish Gandhi’ of Cochin. He was the first Cochin Jew to earn a law degree and went on to practise in the region. “He played a key role in the introduction of modern civic amenities, including electricity, during Cochin’s transition into the modern era,” Jose highlights.
Salem’s building had remained a residence until only a decade ago, and so, it was the easiest of the two to work on, says Mridula.
“For both, we have gone for an adaptive reuse architectural process to suit tourism needs. It is in equal parts restoration and renovation. So, not a return to the ‘original’. But care is taken to align the aesthetics to the style of their time,” she said over a call from Malaysia.
Ezekiel’s old residence was, until a few years ago, a soap factory with labs and godown spaces. “A considerable amount of work was done here. We stripped all mindless additions and highlighted certain elements to bring to the fore the older form – for example, the staircase, the beams, the built-in cupboards,” Mridula added.
Local residents have welcomed the changes, too. “These buildings have, no doubt, come alive, and as they liven up with guests and patrons, one can, in a way, get a feel of how this place once bustled,” points out Thaha Ibrahim, who runs Kochi’s last Jewish embroidery shop next door.
“There is good and bad tourism. What has unfolded here is definitely how it ideally should be done. With a pinch of preservation,” he adds.