In the heart of Mattanchery’s Jew Town along the Paradesi Synagogue lane, stands an old building bearing a sign that reads ‘Sarah’s Home’, crowned with the Star of David. Inside, 55-year-old Thaha Ibrahim leans over a piece of off-white silk, carefully hand-stitching gold-plated metal threads into intricate patterns. He’s crafting something not seen in Kochi for nearly half a century — a traditional Jewish wedding dress.
Each motif is painstakingly embroidered by hand in a local style called odichukuth. Thaha’s guide is an aged pattern — a template drawn nearly 80 years ago by Sarah Cohen, the original owner of the embroidery shop. Sarah was the last surviving member of the Paradesi Jewish community in Kerala. She died in August 2019 at the age of 95. Before her passing, she handed over her rare skills — honed over decades — to her ‘adopted son’ Thaha, a Muslim tailor from the neighbourhood.
Thaha had assisted Sarah for decades at her home-based embroidery shop and took over its operations after her death. Now, he is completing a full set of Jewish wedding attire. The bridal outfit includes a richly embroidered pudava (wrap skirt), a white kuppayam (blouse), and a muttu (veil). The groom’s ensemble features trousers, shirt, embroidered vest or coat, and often a kippah. The finished set will be preserved in the Jewish Museum, currently under construction beside the historic Paradesi Synagogue. Traditionally, these wedding attires are family heirlooms, sometimes passed down across five generations, according to Thaha.
Thaha’s journey with Sarah and her husband Jacob Cohen began in the 1980s. The Cohens, a childless Jewish couple whose ancestors had migrated from Iraq, lived in the same neighbourhood. Photos: sarahcohenjewtown/ Instagram.
“This is my first time stitching a Jewish wedding dress. I’ve never seen anyone else make one,” says Thaha. “I rely only on what aunty (Sarah) taught me and the pattern she left behind. She had learned it from her grandmother’s friend,” says Thaha. Thaha once handled a nearly century-old wedding dress brought in by a Jewish family visiting from Israel for repairs. “From the fabric and golden embroidery, I believe it has Persian origins. The style is intricate, and such detailed gold work was often used in the Middle East,” he says.
The wedding dress Thaha is creating will soon become the centrepiece of the Jewish Museum, being built beside the Paradesi Synagogue. Photo: Sudhi Mattanchery/ Manorama.
The full attire could be completed in four to five months with assistance, but Thaha has been working alone while juggling other embroidery orders. He began working on the bridal dress in August last year. The groom’s attire will follow once it is complete. “The entire process may cost up to ₹1 lakh,” he estimates. “Earlier, they used pure gold threads, which were far more expensive. Now, with gold-plated thread, it’s still delicate work but relatively affordable,” he adds.
Thaha’s journey with Sarah and her husband Jacob Cohen began in the 1980s. The Cohens, a childless Jewish couple whose ancestors had migrated from Iraq, lived in the same neighbourhood. At 13, Thaha sold postcards to tourists arriving in ships and stored them overnight in a nearby warehouse. One day, when the warehouse owner failed to show up, Jacob offered to store the cards at his home.
Sarah, a stern Jewish woman with silver white bobbed hair and thick black rim glasses , initially disapproved. “She didn’t speak to me properly for five years,” recalls Thaha. At the time, she was in her sixties and ran the embroidery shop from her home, selling hand-stitched children’s clothes, cotton garments, tablecloths, mats, and Jewish ceremonial items like kippahs (skull caps), menorahs, and candle stands.
An old book featuring Jewish wedding attire. Photo: Sudhi Mattanchery/ Manorama.
When renovation work began at the Paradesi Synagogue, Sarah struggled to manage the intricate embroidery needed for sacred spaces. Her assistants weren’t skilled enough. Knowing Thaha’s father and brother were tailors, she asked if they could help. They were unavailable, so Thaha, who knew basic sewing, offered instead.
His breakthrough came when he sketched a cushion template shaped like a keyhole for the synagogue’s tebah (altar). “Aunty was thrilled. She told me, ‘If you can draw, you can stitch.’ She sat beside me and taught me everything.” From there, Thaha learned to make kippahs, challah covers, and eventually, ceremonial garments.
Jacob died in 1999, asking Thaha to look after Sarah in his absence. As the Jewish population in Kerala dwindled and Jewish homes turned into antique stores, Thaha remained by Sarah’s side, running the shop and keeping the traditions alive. Eventually, Sarah entrusted him with full responsibility.
Thaha with his son Shihab. Photo: Sudhi Mattanchery/ Manorama.
Even today, Thaha continues to honour Jewish customs such as Shabbat. Sarah left her home, shop, and patterns to him — gifts he cherishes deeply. He still uses the original templates and stitching machines in her living room.
His wife Jasmine, son Shihab, and a relative, Ruksana, now assist him in the embroidery work. The wedding dress Thaha is creating will soon become the centrepiece of the Jewish Museum, being built beside the Paradesi Synagogue, established in 1568 by the Paradesi Jews who arrived in India after fleeing persecution in Spain and Portugal.