Sarah Aunty's Embroidery Shop: The Last Jews Of Kochi | 101 Traces

The touching relationship between one of the last Jewish residents of Kochi and her Muslim caretaker.

Sarah Cohen's Hand Embroidery is a world famous store selling Jewish speciality items in 'Jew Town', Mattancherry in Kerala. The 95 year old, affectionately called Sarah Aunty is one of the last remaining members of the Cochin Jews (also known as Malabar Jews) in the city. Her caretaker, Thaha Ibrahim, fondly remembers the glory days of Jew Town, when both sides of the street were home to members of the Jewish community. 

101 Traces looks at the last of anything: ethnic communities, folk craftsmen, disappearing trades, forgotten people. It sketches portraits of these unique individuals, locked in a battle they cannot win: a battle against the future. Together, they represent the dying whispers of ancient heritage and traditional individuality. As India moves towards homogenized global pop culture, 101 Traces honors the people, the objects, and the skills that connect us to our ancient identity.