Aliyah

'Next time in Jerusalem' - uttered during 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 Cochinthe, the place where his ancestors had found sanctuary, for it was here that their roots settled, 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 interweaves myth, history and fiction to create a compelling narrative about man's constant search for home and permanence.