Three Hundred and Fifty Years of Jewish Life in Curaçao

The night is cool and we are surrounded by the very special setting of Fort Amsterdam in Curacao.  There is great expectation amongst the crowd, and hardly a seat available.  Almost two thousand people have gathered here to join the oldest Jewish community in continued existence in the Americas.

Mikve Israel – Emanuel, Mother Congregation of the Americas, is celebrating grandly its 350^th. birthday, and is sharing its joy with the whole island, including the governor of Curacao and other dignitaries.   They have invited everyone to be present at this open air L’Chayim (To Life) Korsow concert of the American Conference of Cantors .  They have flown especially from the States to be present on this occasion.  Cantor Spenadel, from Aruba, has been invited to join this magnificent choir.  This concert is the brainchild of Cantor Norman Swerling and Ben Steiner. Unfortunately, for health reasons, Cantor Swerling is unable to attend, but the concert is dedicated to his unswerving friendship with Curacao, where he served as a Hazzan from 1964 to 1967.

The excellent group Serenada, that is more than twenty five years old, has opened the concert with songs from the island reinterpreted with a special flavor, sometimes singing a capella with an exquisite sense of rhythm, and subtle innovations.

When the concert director, Dr. Ben Steinberg, a  composer, scholar and conductor well known and honored across Canada, the United States and Israel, joins the cantors on the stage, we begin to understand how intertwined the two cultures are.  The local public is as thrilled as the overseas visitors to have a chance to listen to this eclectic program which includes music by Jewish and Israeli composers. Music is a wonderful way to express feelings, and immediately there is a special chemistry between the audience and the cantors.

The spirit of those Sephardic Jews who came to Curacao in search of religious freedom lingers in the air and one can sense their presence.  The concert is finally over, but  the audience is reluctant to leave.  When they finally start filing out, we sense that each of the spectators is carrying home with him a newly found connection to the Sephardic Jews who, led by Joao d’Ylan landed on the island, newly taken from the Spaniards, 350 years ago.   They were willing to risk everything for their beliefs, and they found new religious and political horizons in Curacao.

Their descendants, assisted by a great number of volunteers in different committees, have organized this monumental celebration from May 22 to the 29^th.  For almost two years they have been working hard, paying great attention to detail, and the fruit of their labor is evident now.

Almost 150 visitors from overseas, including rabbis who, at one time, served in this congregation, have come to say “Hineini” (I’m here) to their friends . 

On Sunday, April 22, the Beth Haim cemetery has been rededicated.

Fully restored were the Casa de Rodeos (House of Rodeos) (c.1726), where religious funeral services for   male members of the Congregation were conducted, and the Casinha dos Cohanim  (Small House of the Cohens) where Cohen family members could attend funerals from afar. Many of the 2,500 graves have beautiful and ornate tombstones, with motifs illustrating the life and personality of the deceased. Unfortunately, fumes from the nearby refinery have damaged many of them.  Beautification of the site with the planting of trees, chosen for their resistance to environmental pollution and fumes, will help preserve this rich heritage for generations to come.

On Monday, April 23, the 350^th. commemorative service took place at the historic Mikve – Israel Emanuel Synagogue, led by Rabbi Michael Tayvah, and attended by H.R.H. Willem Alexander, Crown Prince of the Netherlands, as well as numerous dignitaries and guests.   This poignant service stirred the emotions of everyone present.

Whoever visits the Mikve – Israel Emanuel synagogue will be taken back in time to the 17^th. century.  The synagogue, which was consecrated in 1732, after the first building and two others were either abandoned or destroyed, has been impeccably maintained, and follows the architecture of the Sephardic synagogues of the period, specifically the one in Amsterdam. Visitors enter the synagogue through a portal that opens into the Courtyard, tiled with old Spanish tiles.

As you enter the synagogue the first thing that calls your attention is the thick layer of sand covering the floor. The reasons are both practical and symbolic: the sand symbolizes the sand of the desert, which the Jews sojourned to get to their land of freedom.  On a practical level it muffles the sounds of  footsteps of latecomers to the services.  Another explanation is that God blessed Abraham telling him that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand grains upon the seashore.  On the center of the synagogue is the magnificent mahogany Theba (Reader’s Platform) from which the Rabbi conducts services and delivers a sermon.  On its balustrade are four beautiful candlesticks, which can also hold the Torah rimmonim.

The Heichal houses 18 Torah scrolls of great antiquity.          

Four magnificent pillars support the building, each named after one of the matriarchs.

Hanging from the ceiling are four chandeliers of extraordinary beauty, one of them older than the building.  They hold 24 candlesticks.  They are lit on special occasions, like the eve of Yom Kippur, weddings, and the commemorative 350^th. anniversary service.

Music from an exquisite pipe organ, about 140 years old, manufactured in Amsterdam, used to be played during services.  It is no longer in use, but there are plans to restore it and make it functional again, thanks to a generous donation from the House of Oranje in honor of the 350^th. anniversary of this community.

All these details fail to convey the emotion that we all felt during the Shabbat service at this synagogue, whose elegance resides in its sobriety.   I was actually transported to the 17^th. century as the traditional Sephardic melodies were sung by Rabbi Tayvah and the congregants, and my eyes misted thinking of the history of these brave Jews who, against all odds, accomplished so much, and preserved the richness of their faith and tradition for future generations.

The Jewish museum across the courtyard houses amazing ceremonial objects: a Torah scroll which a scribe recently dated back to the time of the Expulsion from Spain ( 1492), two Chairs of Elijah (used on circumcisions), one almost 300 years old, ancient ketubot (marriage contracts) and countless family heirloom objects which powerfully illustrate the rich Jewish life of the Curacao community from its beginnings.

The museum itself occupies two buildings (c. 1728), which were, originally, the Rabbi’s house and a Mikvah, uncovered during the recent restoration.

On Thursday evening we had a very special treat:  Rabbi Chaim Potok, the famous and prolific writer of books such as Wandering, a History of the Jews, and novels such as  The Promise, The Chosen, I Am the Clay, etc, gave a lecture on Wanderings, the History of the Jews, with special emphasis on the Sephardim.

In his learned lecture, he traced the history of the Jews in Spain, from the time that the Ummayad dynasty was represented by a young caliph, a wise ruler who brought a love of learning and the arts to Cordoba.

The Jews, who up till then had been artisans and farmers, were exposed to Arabic and its linguistic principles.  One man, Hasdai ibn Shaprut, brought Spanish Jewry to a higher level.  He was a physician and a great healer.  He was also a brilliant medical researcher who discovered a marvelous drug. Ibn Shaprut spoke Latin and Roman, knew the Scriptures well and had high regard for scholars of rabbinical law.  The Caliph heard of him and invited him to serve as physician in the court of Cordoba.  Ibn Shaprut also became a successful administrator, and translated into Arabic a book with Greek medical terms.  He was also sent as a diplomat on delicate missions, and knew about the Khazar kingdom.  Ibn Shaprut was one of those who helped make Cordoba one the three great cities of the world, together with Baghdad and Constantinople. Half a million people lived in Cordoba, and it attracted scholars from all over.  There were academies of arts and sciences, and free schooling for children.  Arabic culture transmitted Greek culture to Europe.

This was the accomplishment of the caliph, who was succeeded by his son, who continued his wise policies. His library contained 400 thousand volumes.

He retained Ibn Shaprut, who became the unquestioned leader of Andalusian Jewry.  As such. he aided Jewish scholars and poets, and sought texts of Talmud for Jewish academies. He heralded a flourishing of Jewish culture, learning and art to Spain.  One of the scholars he brought, ibn Chanoch, ex captive of pirates, changed the nature of Spanish Jewry. They had fewer ties to Babylonian academies and became independent.  Just like the Arabs studied the structure and linguistic principles of Arabic text, and considered the Arabic in the Koran holy, the Spanish Jews started to study the Hebrew language, what made it exquisite.

Menachem ibn Sarouk discovered Hebrew philology.  He came to Cordoba and became the home poet at ibn Shaprut’s home.  He wrote a Dictionary of Hebrew Language. Like for Arabs, the study of language and poetry had strong connections for these scholars. At the home of ibn  Shaprut poets would read their creations. Dunash ibn Labrat was an extraordinary poet who revolutionized Biblical poetry writing using Arabic metrics: the themes were often descriptions of wine feasts, the lad who poured the wine, and reflections on life itself.

From this exposure to aesthetics and a love for learning all things, from metaphysics to optics, calligraphy, etc. etc., Rabbinical Judaism took a new form.  These poets and scholars were fluent in Arabic and could write perfectly in it, but deep in their hearts they were Jewish scholars who had taken Arabic names.

The Ummayad caliphate ended in 1027 and the land was again a crazy quilt of kingdoms. The Christians in the North embarked upon the Re-conquest of Spain.

Wandering poets and physicians gave the Jews some cohesion. Ibn Gabriel wrote beautiful religious poetry expressing the yearnings of his soul.

Yehudah HaLevi , the “singer of Zion”, a physician and a merchant, left Toledo in 1109 and, together with his best friend, ibn Ezra, wandered through Spain.  They were part of a group of about 50 Jewish poets, some of them extraordinary, who lived a difficult life.

In 1230 Castille and Leon were united.  In 1236 Cordoba fell to the Christians, and the Jews were persecuted and forced to convert. They became the Marranos. Then the Inquisition was founded to find and punish “secret Jews.”  The last city in Arab hands, Granada, was conquered in September 1492, ending 800 years of Muslim rule.  The few Jews who remained in it were expelled with all the other Spanish Jews.

Their wanderings would take them to Portugal, Holland and, in mid 17^th. century, to Curacao, in search of the religious and political freedom they longed for.

The Friday morning seminar at the World Trade Center brought us the wisdom of Rabbi Chaim Potok,  Rabbi W, Gunther Plaut, Rabbi David Teutsch, Rabbi Avraham Soetendorp and Rabbi Shim J. Maslin who, at one time was the Rabbi of the Curacao community.  Rabbi A. Peller, who was the spiritual leader of Mikve Israel for sixteen years, introduced them.  He gave us a semblance of their achievements, and of his personal connection to them.

The rabbis who formed the panel, true exponents of contemporary liberal Jewish thought, shared with us their perspective on the topic: The Threat to Survival of Small and Remote Jewish Communities in the 21^st. Century.    R. Peller felt that there were problems in small communities, but that there were also solutions to them.

Rabbi Teutsch, who heads the Reconstructionist Movement Rabbinical Seminary, pondered what makes a community strong and malleable while others simply flicker and die.  His response was: the understanding that we can succeed if we maintain our  identity through cultural exchanges, so that others can understand our inner cultural richness.  He mentioned two types of communities: those under persecution: embattled communities, and those who enjoy prosperity and relative acceptance by the host society, like Curacao.

These live in political comfort.  Also, it is critical for a community to have a self-sustaining culture.

The smaller communities are critically dependent for Jewish resources on larger, independent communities.  Therefore bridge building with the latter ones, and with other microcommunities is essential. 

Activities like Jewish summer camps and maintaining close ties to Israel are very important.

A key factor that defines a vibrant community that will survive is the ability to be enriched by their own poets and artists, to have free access to scholarship and to religious practice. In the field of interpersonal relationships our connection to others, our gmilut chasadim (deeds of kindness).  Our caring and the help we extend to each other are as important as our scholars.

Parental involvement is pivotal to success. Even if the adults take adult growth courses, if they do not make Judaism thrive at home, the power of mutual learning is lost.

Another factor to be considered is how we mark the distinctive rhythms of Shabbat and holidays, the recurrent moments that become the fabric of our existence, the vessel into which we pour the meaning of connection.  These rhythms, repeated over time, have a power far beyond each individual day.

A living community survives by its flexibility, by acceptance of change in society, its ability to compromise, share and innovate.  Our creativity should give us the strength to revive our precious inheritance .  Curacao is a magnificent example of such a community: it has an extraordinary ability to celebrate, to organize, and great energy and vigor that sustain the community through their daily lives. For a small community to survive members must be committed to each other, invest their energies and their financial support in the community so that together, they can go from strength to strength.

Rabbi Avraham Soetendorp, from the Hague, is the president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, European region, and very involved in human rights issues and interfaith dialogue. He is an intermediary between Hindus and Catholics in India. As a Holocaust survivor and a human being, he was extremely impressed with the difference between a community like Curacao, where Jewish life has been uninterrupted and Europe, where Jewish life was broken and, by the fifties, almost completely destroyed. The Dutch Joodse Gemeenschap, in 1953, decided that there was no future for their community. They voted to disband it, but for one vote did not.  Now there are more than 3,500 members in the Netherlands. R. Soetendorp feels that the creation of the State of Israel was a main factor in the rebirth of Jewish life in Europe after WWII.

In the Netherlands community they are busy struggling for and embracing new projects that unite and invigorate them. Some of them may not have known their parents but they still have strong feelings for Judaism. 

One must never talk down to someone who ignores the codified teachings of our faith or the Hebrew language, because he has the potential to become a teacher of Judaism. When non-Jews cling to Judaism they become the nechamah, the Spirit of Judaism.  R. Soetendorp went on to say:  “ One question that we will be asked when we die is: Have you always longed for redemption? Why didn’t you open the doors wider?” We should welcome all who wish to convert to Judaism. This must be our response to religious apathy, intermarriage and the challenge of living in a free  society.

When their synagogue was reconstructed they put in the ark pieces of Torah parchment that had been saved by Holocaust survivors, just like the generation that left Egypt in search of dignity and freedom put pieces of the broken stone in which the Ten Commandments had been engraved.  “The torn Torah has become a symbol of community strength.  Our differences strengthen each other.”

The kindness and wisdom that radiates from this open minded and inspiring Rabbi reminds one of the Baal Shem Tov who, with simple words, was able to convey the core principles of Judaism to his people, and to put them in practice.

R. Soetendorp was followed by Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut, a rabbi for 63 years, and past president of the CCAR, whose indelible life experiences include his service in the U.S. military during WWII, which took him to the concentration camps that were liberated by the US army. He is the renowned author of The Torah: A Modern Commentary.

R. Plaut feels that there are features common to small communities: those that have survived through all kinds of difficulties shared the devotion and learning of a few people, and a dedicated lay leadership.

They were threatened, but were able to reverse the trend . Devotion and learning are the pillars upon which any community ultimately rests. Quantity is not the essence, quality is.  In this he agreed with R. Teutsch who felt that, if a community is only 30 to 50 people rich, it can still function effectively if the lay leadership is devoted and active, and if their love of learning inspires others to educate themselves and observe the rituals with personal meaning.

R. Plaut, for this reasons, saluted the Curacao Jewish community and told them: “Your future is bright!”

Rabbi S. Maslin told the audience how, throughout history, Curacao not only was engaged in securing a flourishing Jewish life for the community, but also helped other communities in the States to establish themselves and build their own synagogues, like the Touro synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, and Shearit Israel in Manhattan, N.Y. They also extended a helping hand to communities in the Caribbean and Latin America and, during the Revolutionary War, supported the American colonies. The courageous pioneers of Curacao also procured a grant of religious freedom from the Dutch West Indies Company.

Things do not always remain the same, there is a dynamic of change, as the Talmud says: ‘the wheel turns in the world’, and things can happen to communities that once were large and prosperous, turning them into penniless, troubled communities. R. Maslin cited the Polish Jewish community, which, before the Holocaust, numbered 3 million people, and only a few survived.  The size of a community does not guarantee its success. In our days, the American Jewish community leads but that does not mean it will always remain this way. 

In large congregations there is the danger of anonymity, and the commitment that is the key to problem solving is lacking.  Our guiding principle must be that everyone must be made to feel he is essential to the community, and welcome.

We must also train the youth so that they can assume para-rabbinical roles and ensure continuity in small communities that lack a rabbi. R. Maslin, who is also past president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, said that while he was a rabbi on the island, in 1966, a group of youths helped him light the Hanukkah candles. Thirty-four years later, they are the ones who worked the hardest for the celebration of the 350^th. anniversary. He urged them (and us): “Don’t let the light go out!”

During the period when the panel took questions from the audience Rabbi Soetendorp remarked that, when we were fighting for the Soviet Jews we all got together. Why not join forces to fight for our own survival? He continued: “Curacao is teaching us all a lesson: stay together and work together towards that goal.”

R. Teutsch summed up the three factors that make an active community: a) sustaining actively the social structure of the community b) high level of personal involvement c) constant personal learning to help us lead in a religious and personal sense. “The Rabbi who studies alone in a community will not be its Rabbi for long.”

Other very special moments were the Kabbalat Shabbat dinner offered to visitors in the Mikve Israel synagogue courtyard, during which we were led in song (z’mirot) by R.Tayvah, and the Shabbat luncheon at Villa Maria Scharloo, where we had a chance to sing Shabbat songs led by Cantor Irving Spenadel from Aruba. 

A spirit of camaradery pervaded throughout the week, and we all returned home energized and determined, more than ever, to follow R. Maslin’s exhortation.

The JULC salutes the Jewish Community of Curacao, a shining example of determination to survive and of personal investment in a Judaism which gave them strength to fight oppression and nourished them throughout their history.

Martha E. Lichtenstein
May 2001

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Copyright © 2001, 2002 UJCL.