The Historic Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Curaçao

When I tell people that Curaçao has one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Americas and the oldest synagogue in continual use in the Western Hemisphere, they often ask, “Why there of all places?”

The story goes back to the Spanish Inquisition. Jews who escaped persecution in Spain found relative safety in a more tolerant Amsterdam. Around 1651, a small group of these Sephardic Jews sailed to Dutch-controlled Curaçao. They hoped to start a new life as farmers. A larger group arrived in 1659 and brought a historic Torah scroll from Amsterdam. This community founded the Mikvé Israel congregation in the 1650s and built the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in 1732, also known as the Snoa.

Farming was difficult because the soil was too dry. This led the community to turn to trade instead. They did business between Europe and South America and by the mid-1700s they became the most successful and important Jewish community in the New World. There were about 1,500 Jews who lived in Curaçao at the peak of the community. They even helped start Jewish communities in places like New York and Rhode Island.

Here are some views of this historic place, including its famous sand-covered floor, which is symbolic of the desert Tabernacle. The magnificent chandeliers, mahogany furnishings, and architecture are reminiscent of Amsterdam’s Portuguese Synagogue.

The sand floors contrasted with the traditional handcrafted wood benches, pillars, and bimah make it arguably one of the most unique synagogue experiences in the world.

There is a museum in an adjacent building that is full of artifacts and detailed visual histories of this unique epicenter for Jewish life.