Religion in the Diaspora: Models, Metaphors and Mechanisms of Acculturation Suggested by the Case of the Jews of Cochin

The small, far-flung Jewish community in Kochi (Cochin), South India, not only survived for at least 1,000 – possibly 2,000 – years, but also flourished. They were learned, pious Jews. They were successful in the spice trade and thrived as merchants, artisans, and in the local military and politics.

How did they do it? How did they establish and maintain an identity that wedded their Jewishness with their Indianness?

While this talk focuses on the Kochi Jews, it is also about Jews everywhere. In fact, it is a prescription for acculturation without assimilation.