Photo: Queenie Hallegua, Last Jewish woman in Kochi
Kochi: The last Jewish woman in Kochi has passed away, fading into memory. Queenie Hallegua died at her residence in Mattancherry, Kochi. As per her wish, she will now rest near her husband Samuel Hallegua’s tomb. With Queenie Hallelgua’s death, the once vibrant Jewish community in Kochi has dwindled to a single representative, Keith I. Hallegua (65), the sole remaining member of the ‘white’ Jewish community with Middle-Eastern heritage.
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, many Jews migrated to their ancestral homeland, but around three thousand Jews loved Kochi so much that they chose to settle there, particularly in Jew Street and surrounding areas in Fort Kochi. The history of Jews in Kerala during the 1950s is a story unto itself.
Queenie was a member of the Koder family. Her late father, S. Koder, was a very wealthy man. The Koder family resided in the Koder House in Fort Kochi. S. Koder was an agent for prominent companies in India and abroad, and he was also the owner of the first electricity distribution company in Kerala, the Kochi Electric Company. It was S. Koder who first brought electricity to Kochi and started the boat service. Koder House has now transformed into a well-known heritage hotel in Kochi. The famous Sealord Hotel in Kochi was also built by Koder.
Jewish marriage contract). Kochi, 1986. Photo courtesy: Ellen Goldberg
Queenie and Samuel Hallegua had two children, both of whom now reside in America. Samuel and Queenie used to travel to Israel and America every year. However, after her husband’s death, Queenie rarely traveled abroad.
In an interview with TNIE in 2017, Queenie expressed her love for Kochi, saying, “This is the land of my ancestors. I am also here. I wish to be buried next to my husband.” Queenie was always eager to share her knowledge about Jewish culture and heritage.
According to M.C. Praveen, caretaker of the Paradesi Synagogue, Queenie served as a warden and managing trustee of the Paradesi Synagogue from 2012 to 2018. She was also a managing partner of S. Koder Private Limited until 2011.
The funeral took place on Sunday at the Jewish cemetery near the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry.
