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A Brief Introduction

In 1754, under special permission from the Dutch royalty, Moses Solomon Levie Maduro, a prominent member of a Sephardic (Portuguese) Jewish family in Curaçao, established himself in Aruba, with his wife and six children. The Maduros stayed on the island until 1816.

Levie Maduro was one of the first Europeans ever to arrive to the Dutch West Indies. He was working for the Dutch West Indies Company, and founded a branch in Aruba. In 1994, Maduro and Sons, the main shipping company in Aruba, proudly celebrated 250 years of Jewish settlement by their ancestors.

Other Jewish families established themselves on the island after the Maduros, (23 persons registered in 1867), but, even though their numbers increased, they were never able to support a community organization like their fellow Jews in Curaçao. Hence, they did not follow a traditional Jewish lifestyle.

Today, a large group of local residents, descendants of the original Portuguese Jews, proudly acknowledge their Jewish roots, and share their Jewish heritage with fellow Jews in Curaçao. Amongst them we can name the families Maduro, Curiel, Robles, Nassy, Lopez, Henriquez, and others.

A small cemetery in town, with tombstone names that times has almost erased, is the only physical evidence of the Jewish presence in Aruba in the past centuries.

Historical 18^th and 19^th centuries documentation is not available on Aruba, since the governmental old archives were stored in Curaçao, and sent to Amsterdam thereafter.

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Profile of the Jewish Community of Aruba Today

The Jewish Community of Aruba (Israelitische Gemeente) shares, since 1962, Beth Israel Synagogue as their place of worship, and cares for their small cemetery on Petronia St., as well as for the old one, nearby.

The community received official recognition by the Dutch Kingdom on Dec. 1^st., 1956, and Beth Israel Synagogue was inaugurated on Nov. 4, 1962 (Cheshvan 8, 5723.)

The community consists mostly of Jewish immigrants that arrived in Aruba from different parts of the world in the early 20’s, and made it their home. After 1924, a large group of Eastern European Jews, mostly from Poland, settled here, together with Jews from Holland and Sephardic families from the previously Dutch colony of Surinam (South America.)

The community opened a Jewish center on Palm Beach in 1942 – the Jewish Country Club – and, four years later, with the arrival of some Holocaust survivors, the community was officially organized. This country club, no longer existent, was an important community center in which life-cycle events, such as weddings and bar mitzvahs, took place. It was also used for Purim parties, youth activities, and more. However, when most young Jews had to leave the island in order to pursue their college education in the 60’s, and quite a number of them established their homes in the U.S.A. or in Holland, the club was slowly abandoned.

Today, the Jewish community has about 85 members, and 150 Overseas Members.

Due to its small size, and the intimate, close knit nature of the community, one joint organization was formed, blending the Sephardic with the Ashkenazic traditions, respecting their common culture, and enjoying the differences.

The Jewish Community of Aruba publishes a monthly newsletter, Chadashot Beth Israel , that is mailed to local and overseas members. It portrays significant events in the life of the community, and connects all members.

Rev. Cantor Irving N. Spenadel (ledaneps@aol.com), from Merrick, NY, was the spiritual leader of the community from February 1999 until July 2002. On this date he left Aruba to assume a new position as Cantor of a Massachusetts, U.S.A. synagogue. During his stay here he was in charge of leading religious services and providing non-formal Jewish education for the youth. He initiated a program of Adult Jewish Education which was geared to unaffiliated Jews on the island, and interfaith couples where the non-Jewish partner decided to embrace Judaism. Rev. Cantor Spenadel also performed at life-cycle events for Jewish visitors to Aruba who wished to celebrate them on the island.

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Our new Rabbi

Rabbi Mario Gurevich has assumed his position as spiritual leader of our congregation as of August 1st., 2008.

Rabbi Gurevich has been the spiritual leader of the Jewish Community of Quito and the Asociacion Israelita Montefiore (AIM) where, upon his retirement he was honored as Rabbi Emeritus. He has also served several other congregations in Colombia, like the Centro Israelita Filantropico in Barranquilla.

Rabbi Gurevich has lectured at the Shalom Institute in Sidney, Australia, and was consultant to the project “Beit Praha” in the Czech Republic. He is an accomplished lecturer in Jewish History and Thought, and a remarkable teacher with professional degrees in medicine and philosophy. For years he has served as volunteer in the Civil Air Patrol of Colombia, as gynecologist and pilot, bringing medical care to deprived rural zones of the country.

This multifaceted rabbi has also been Executive vice President of B'nai Brith district XXIII and university professor at several Latin American institutions of higher learning.

Rabbi Gurevich is presently oriented toward adult education in the History and Culture of the Jewish people. His community building projects, committed leadership and initiatives will undoubtedly energize and inspire our community.

If you wish to contact Rabbi Gurevich, please e-mail him at rabbi.aruba@yahoo.com