INDIA: 17TH CENTURY SYNAGOGUE - BUILT ON ONE FROM THE 12TH CENTURY - TO BE RESTORED

JPOST:

COCHIN, India - Local authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala have decided to renovate one of the oldest synagogues in the region as part of a larger heritage conservation and tourism development project, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

The Parur synagogue, located in the village of North Paravur, approximately 18 km. north of Cochin, dates to the early 17th century. It was believed to have been built on the ruins of a previous synagogue from the 12th century.

... Hebrew University anthropologist Dr. Shalva Weil, a world-renowned specialist on Indian Jewry, called the Parur synagogue "an architectural gem and well worth preservation."

In an interview with the Post, she praised the Kerala authorities, saying they "have embarked upon an ambitious conservation project of various historical and archaeological sites. The plan is excellent and they have not forgotten the Jews, who played such an important role in Kerala."

THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR INDIA.