The 450-year-old Synagogue’s keeper is concerned about the Jewish community’s future in Kochi. Joseph Elias Josephai (affectionately known as Babu) is one of the few remaining members of Kochi’s Jewish community. Following the establishment of Israel in 1948, a substantial number of Cochin Jews (also known as Malabar Jews) returned to the holy land. As a result, Kochi’s Jewish population has shrunk to just 27 people. Babu has taken it upon himself to supervise the security and upkeep of the Kadavumbhagom Synagogue because no one else is caring for it. Babu is appealing to international Jewish trusts to help ensure that the Synagogue is preserved after his death, lamenting the future of the city’s Jewish community.
101 Traces is a documentary that looks at the last of everything: ethnic communities, traditional craftspeople, vanishing trades, and forgotten people. It paints profiles of these folks who are caught in a fight they can’t win: a fight against the future. They reflect the dwindling whispers of ancient heritage and traditional identity when they come together. 101 Traces honors the people, the artifacts, and the abilities that connect us to our ancient identity as India marches toward homogenized global pop culture.
