A Brief Introduction

In many ways the history of Judaism in Curaçao offers a unique window into world and Jewish history. The congregation was established by Jews looking for a new home after escaping the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, and later in Brazil.

Many families found refuge first in Amsterdam; from there they went west to establish in Curaçao. Unlike many other early Jewish communities in the region, the congregation in Curaçao has remained active throughout the centuries. The history of our people, our cemetery, and our Synagogue are testimony to our deep roots in Curaçao.

The Congregation was established in 1651, when Joao d’Ylan brought the first group of settlers to Curaçao. With time and hard work, the Jewish settlers flourished in Curaçao. Throughout the centuries, the Jews of Curaçao played important roles in historic events, both locally and internationally.

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The Jewish Community

The first Jew to arrive in Curaçao was Samuel Cohen. He served as an interpreter on board the Dutch fleet under the command of Johan van Walbeeck, which conquered the island from the Spanish in 1634, over 365 years ago. A few years later, in 1651, Joao d’Ylan brought 10 to 12 Jewish families from the Amsterdam Portuguese community to Curaçao and established Congregation Mikvé Israel in that same year; they lived on Plantation ‘De Hoop’ (‘The Hope’) and tended the land. A second group of settlers followed in 1659 under the patronage of Isaac da Costa and brought with them a gift from the Amsterdam synagogue: our first Torah, still used today in the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue. Most of these settlers were originally from Spain and Portugal. They had fled the Inquisition and found refuge first in Holland and in Northern Brazil, and later in Curaçao.

The settlers could not earn a living with agriculture and soon went in search of viable economic activities. They came to live inside the walled city of Willemstad as early as 1660 and established trade between Northern Europe and the South American Coast. In 1674, they constructed the first of four synagogues in town and built houses in town as well as plantation houses scattered around the island. Through the centuries, the Jews of Curaçao flourished in trade, shipping, commerce, and banking leaving their mark on practically all facets of life on the island.

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Beth Haim

In 1659, with the arrival of the second group of Jewish settlers, cemetery Beth Haim was consecrated. The oldest tombstone dates from 1668, making it one of the first Jewish cemeteries in the New World. The cemetery contains 2500 graves; the tombstones of many of these have been adorned with beautiful sculpture representing biblical passages, often relating to the name of the deceased. The inscriptions on the stones are in Portuguese, Hebrew, Spanish, English, Dutch, French, as well as one in Yiddish. There are no inscriptions in Judeo-Español (not to be confused with Ladino). Its antiquity, art and historical heritage makes the cemetery at Blenheim an extraordinary international monument. Sadly, many of the graves have been lost to erosion caused by acid rain and sulfuric fumes from the nearby refinery.

As part of the 350th anniversary commemoration, Beth Haim will be elevated to her deserved stature. As a historical site, the cemetery will be made more accessible to visitors. A path will be laid leading to some of the most noteworthy gravesites, and some of the most important tombstones will be replicated. We are also exploring options to make the physical environment more pleasant for the visitor. The Casa de Rodeos and Casa Cohanim are being restored. The first of these will become a museum, highlighting the rich history of the cemetery and the then-existing burial practice.

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Our Synagogue

The first settlers had consecrated a house of worship on Plantation De Hoop. But the Jewish population in Curaçao grew and moved to town, and in 1674 the first Synagogue in town was built. This original building was replaced in 1703 with a much larger one on the same site where our ‘Snoa’ stands today.

This house of worship soon became too small again to house the flourishing Jewish community of Curaçao.

The architecture of the new synagogue, which was inaugurated in 1732, was modeled after the ‘Esnoge’, the Portuguese Sephardic synagogue in Amsterdam. In 1864, a third of the members of the Mikvé Israel congregation started their own congregation, which followed more liberal principles based on the philosophy of the Reform Jewish Movement.

Our Temple
They built the magnificent Temple Emanuel. Exactly 100 years later, the congregations reunited and formed Mikvé Israel-Emanuel. Still in use today, our congregation’s ‘Snoa’ is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas and stands proudly in the middle of Punda, part of Curaçao’s capital city Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage City. Its remarkable architecture, solid mahogany interior, 18th century copper chandeliers, and sand covered floor have made it one of the most cherished monuments and the number one tourist attraction in Curaçao.

As part of the commemoration plans, we are developing a self-guided audio tour in three languages of the Synagogue and the Jewish Cultural Historical Museum. We are also documenting our Community’s customs and rituals, many of which are also centuries old.

For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.snoa.com/

To read about our 350 anniversary celebration

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