Editing Cochin Jews (section)

==Relations between the Cochin Jews and other Jews==
Although India is noted for having four distinct Jewish communities, ''viz'' Cochin, [[Bene Israel]] (of Bombay and its environs), Calcutta, and New Delhi, communications between the Jews of [[Kochi|Cochin]] and the Bene Israel community were greatest in the mid-19th century.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-21 |title=The Last Jews of Cochin |url=https://psmag.com/social-justice/last-jews-of-cochin |access-date=2017-09-22 |website=Pacific Standard}}</ref> According to native Bene Israel historian Haeem Samuel Kehimkar (1830-1909), several prominent members from the "White Jews" of [[Kochi|Cochin]] had moved to Bombay in 1825 from [[Kochi|Cochin]], of whom are specifically named Michael and Abraham Sargon, David Baruch Rahabi, Hacham Samuel, and Judah David Ashkenazi. These exerted themselves not only in changing the minds of the Bene-Israel and of their children generally, but also particularly in turning the minds of these few of the Bene-Israel, who through heathen influence had gone astray from the path of the religion of their forefathers, to the study of their own religion, and to the contemplation of [[Names of God in Judaism|God]]. David Rahabi effected a religious revival at Revandanda, followed by his successor, Hacham Samuel.<ref>Haeem Samuel Kehimkar, ''The History of the Bene-Israel of India'' (ed. Immanuel Olsvanger), Tel-Aviv: The Dayag Press, Ltd.; London: G. Salby 1937, p. 66</ref>

Although David Rahabi was convinced that the Bene Israel were the descendants of the Jews, he still wanted to examine them further. He therefore gave their women clean and unclean fish to be cooked together, but they singled out the clean from the unclean ones, saying that they never used fish that had neither fins nor scales. Being thus satisfied, he began to teach them the tenets of the Jewish religion. He taught Hebrew reading, without translation, to three Bene Israel young men from the families of Jhiratker, Shapurker and Rajpurker.<ref>Haeem Samuel Kehimkar, ''A sketch of the history of Bene-Israel: and an appeal for their education'', Bombay : Education Society's Press 1892, p. 20</ref> 

Another influential man from Cochin, who is alleged to have been of Yemenite Jewish origin, was Hacham [[Shelomo Salem Shurrabi]] who served as a ''[[Chazan|Hazan]]'' (Reader) in the then newly formed synagogue of the Bene-Israel in Bombay for the trifling sum of 100 rupees ''per annum'', although he worked also as a book-binder. While engaged in his avocation, he was at all times ready to explain any scriptural difficulty that might happen to be brought to him by any Bene Israel. He was a Reader, Preacher, Expounder of the Law, ''[[Mohel]]'' and ''[[Shochet]]''.<ref>Haeem Samuel Kehimkar, ''The History of the Bene-Israel of India'' (ed. Immanuel Olsvanger), Tel-Aviv : The Dayag Press, Ltd.; London : G. Salby 1937, pp. 67-68</ref> He died on 17 April 1856 in Bombay.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=SHURRABI, SHELOMO SALEM |encyclopedia=Jewish Encyclopedia |url=https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13620-shurrabi-shelomo-salem |access-date=2024-08-26}}</ref>