Thiruvananthapuram: In a moving story, Queenie Hallegua, the oldest Jewish woman in Fort Kochi, who died at the age of 89, had a last wish — that her ashes should be scattered at Treblinka from where she escaped torture at the age of 9.
About Treblinka
Treblinka was an extermination camp built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest northeast of Warsaw, 4 km south of the village of Treblinka in what is now the Masovian Voivodeship.
About Queenie Hallegua’s Funeral
Wife of the late Samuel H Hallegua, her funeral was held at a Jewish cemetery in Kochi on Sunday evening. According to Jewish tradition, there is a requirement of ten male members for such ceremonies, and the funeral was held following the tradition. Two Jews, who were in Fort Kochi as tourists, also took part in the funeral.
Queenie was the daughter of S Koder, who introduced electricity distribution in Kochi city. He was also the first to introduce the boat service in Kochi and is also credited with setting up the first department store in Kerala. Queenie is survived by her children, Fiona and David Hallegua – both of whom live in the United States along with their spouses and children.
With her death, only one Paradesi Jew – White Jews of European origin – remains in Kochi: Queenie’s 65-year-old nephew Keith I Hellegua.
Impact Of The Holocaust On Queenie Hallegua
At the age of 9, she escaped death meted out by the Nazis, and even after moving to Israel and raising a family she still wished to be taken to the place where her parents and brother had been killed. She spent a lifetime with survivor’s guilt, which was so strong her link was to be with those she lost under such tragic circumstances rather than those she had spent happier times. Her son, his sister, and the grandson went on a five-day journey to carry out her final wishes.
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Queenie had first moved to Israel and raised a family. Later she moved to Mattancheri in Fort Kochi and was an office bearer of the oldest synagogue there. She nursed the pain of her relatives who were tortured to death by the Nazi regime. That is why she wanted to rest permanently with them, said sources.
