Aliyah

‘Next time in Jerusalem’ — uttered every Passover, these words kindle, within the small Jewish community of Kerala, a homesickness for their promised homeland. They must prepare to break all ties with the place they have known and loved for centuries — all in response to the Zionist call.Salamon, the tongue-tied, day-dreaming firstborn of his family, must decide whether to set sail or stay back as the last Jew in Cochin — the place where his ancestors had found sanctuary — for it was here that their roots had struck, amongst those who accepted them as neighbours, classmates, teachers.In this story of cultural and religious identity, told through three generations of a Jewish family in Kerala and their complex interpersonal relationships, Sethu weaves together myth, history and fiction to create a compelling narrative about man’s constant search for home and permanence.