Jewish store in India’s Kochi Run by a Muslim

An American author has shared a video highlighting a shop in India that has continued to operate for decades after most of the local Jewish population left the area. The video, posted by Aija Mayrock, focuses on Thaha Ibrahim, a Muslim man who runs a long-established Jewish embroidery store in Kochi’s historic Jew Town. The shop originally belonged to a Jewish woman who mentored Ibrahim from a young age and later entrusted him with her business. The video has circulated widely online, drawing attention to the continuity of the store and the circumstances under which it has been maintained. 

The story of the Jewish store in India’s Kochi

The store is located in Jew Town, in the Mattancherry area of Kochi. Jew Town was once home to the Cochin Jewish community, which had lived in Kerala for centuries. Following the mid-20th century, most members of the community emigrated, and many homes and businesses closed. A small number of sites, including this embroidery shop, continued operating.

The shop was owned by Sarah Cohen (1925–2019). Cohen was among the last Jews to live permanently in Jew Town. Interviews and reports describe her as a long-time resident who chose to remain in Kochi even as others left. Her shop sold hand embroidery and souvenirs and became a well-known fixture in the area.

As a child, Thaha Ibrahim worked as a street vendor near Cohen’s shop. She later employed him and taught him embroidery and day-to-day shop operations. Over the years, Ibrahim became closely involved in the business, assisting with customers, production and upkeep. This working relationship continued for several decades.

As Cohen’s health declined, she decided that the shop should continue after her death. According to accounts she gave before 2019, she asked Ibrahim to take over the store and maintain its character. He agreed to do so. After her death, Ibrahim and his family assumed responsibility for the business and its contents.

How the store is run today

The shop remains open under the same name and layout. It closes on Saturdays, in line with Jewish Sabbath observance, and candles are lit on Friday evenings. Photographs, embroidery pieces and personal items connected to Cohen are displayed inside. Ibrahim has stated that he remains Muslim and that his role is to run the shop and preserve its existing practices rather than adopt a different faith.

Historical context

According to historians such as Nathan Katz and Shalva Weil, and heritage records maintained by the Jewish Museum Kochi and the Kerala Tourism Department, Jews are believed to have lived in Kerala for more than two thousand years, alongside Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities. While the earliest documentary evidence dates to medieval-era copper plate grants, long-standing local tradition and scholarly research trace Jewish presence on the Malabar Coast back to ancient trading networks.

According to historical studies and government heritage bodies, the Jewish population in Kerala declined sharply during the 20th century following large-scale emigration after 1948. However, synagogues, cemeteries and former businesses in areas such as Jew Town in Kochi continue to exist as physical records of that history. The continued operation of Sarah Cohen’s embroidery shop is cited by local historians as one example of how such sites have remained in use despite major demographic changes.