History of the Jews in Latin America and the Caribbean

The history of the Jews in Latin America and the Caribbean began with conversos who joined the Spanish and Portuguese expeditions to the continents. After the Alhambra Decree of 1492, many Jews in Spain were forced to convert to Catholic faith or leave. Some of these converted Jews, called conversos, traveled to the New World, pretending to be loyal Catholics to avoid trouble. They often kept their Jewish beliefs in secret, even as they lived in places like Mexico and New Mexico.

Some of the very first Jews arrived with explorers like Christopher Columbus, including people such as Rodrigo de Triana and Luis De Torres. Over time, more Jewish families moved to the Americas from places like the Netherlands, France, and Italy. By the late 1500s, organized Jewish communities appeared in areas such as the Portuguese colony of Brazil, the Dutch Suriname and Curaçao, Spanish Santo Domingo, and English colonies like Jamaica and Barbados.

In the mid-1600s, the biggest Jewish communities were in Suriname and Brazil. Many more Jews came to Latin America and the Caribbean in the late 1800s, especially from eastern Europe. After World War II, large numbers of Ashkenazi Jews also moved to South America for safety. Today, fewer than 300,000 Jews live in Latin America, mostly in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Uruguay.

Argentina

Main article: History of the Jews in Argentina

Further information: Jewish gauchos

Jews who were trying to escape unfair treatment settled in Argentina and married local people. Many Portuguese traders in the area were thought to practice Jewish traditions in secret, but no strong community formed after Argentina became independent. Later, especially after 1810, more Jews came from places like France and then from Eastern Europe, mainly Russia and Poland, to escape unfair treatment.

Many Jewish families moved to Argentina before and after World War II to avoid terrible times and unfair treatment of Jews. Today, between 250,000 and 300,000 Jewish people live in Argentina, mostly in cities like Buenos Aires, Rosario, Córdoba, Mendoza, La Plata, and San Miguel de Tucumán. Argentina has one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover are recognized as official holidays there.

Bahamas

In 2022, about 200 Jewish people lived in the Bahamas.

Bolivia

Main article: History of the Jews in Bolivia

Jewish families began to live in Bolivia during the time when Spain ruled the area. Some families with hidden Jewish traditions moved to places like Santa Cruz de la Sierra and felt safer there because faraway from strict rules.

Later, more families came, especially during the 1900s. Many settled in cities such as La Paz and Cochabamba. Even today, some people in Bolivia still honor old family customs from these traditions. Today, there are small Jewish communities in several cities, with most living in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Brazil

Main article: History of the Jews in Brazil

Further information: Amazonian Jews

Jews arrived in Brazil very early, especially in areas ruled by the Dutch. In 1636, they built a synagogue in Recife, the first in the Americas. Most of these Jews were conversos who had escaped from Spain and Portugal to find religious freedom in the Netherlands after the Inquisition began there in 1536. In 1656, when Portugal took back control of Brazil, many Jews moved to Caribbean islands and New Amsterdam, which later became New York City.

After Brazil gained independence in the 19th century, it became a welcoming place for Jewish immigrants. Many Jews left Europe due to pressures there, and Brazil saw increased Jewish immigration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even when other countries limited immigration, Brazil still accepted many Jews, especially after serious problems arose in Europe. Today, Brazil has one of the largest Jewish communities in the world, with around 120,000 people. Brazilian Jews are active in many areas of life, including politics, sports, and business, and they live mainly in São Paulo, with other communities in Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Paraná.

See also: Israel-Brazil relations

Chile

Main article: History of the Jews in Chile

Jews make up a small part of Chile's religious groups, but they have played important roles in the country's history, both before and after Chile became independent in 1810. Today, most Jewish people in Chile live in Santiago and Valparaíso, though there are also communities in the north and south.

Some well-known Jewish Chileans include Mario Kreutzberger, famous as "Don Francisco" for hosting Sábado Gigante, one of the world's longest-running TV shows. In arts and culture, Alejandro Jodorowsky is recognized worldwide for his work in literature and film, while others like Nissim Sharim, Shlomit Baytelman, and Anita Klesky have made their mark in acting. Volodia Teitelboim, a poet and former leader of the Chilean Communist Party, is another Jewish figure who held a significant political role.

In sports, tennis player Nicolás Massú won gold at the Athens 2004 Olympics. Many major companies in Chile, especially in retail and commerce, were started by Jewish people.

Colombia

Main article: History of the Jews in Colombia

Many Jewish families, known as "New Christians," left the Iberian peninsula to escape unfair treatment and seek freedom to practice their beliefs during the 1500s and 1600s. Some of them settled in what is now northern Colombia, called New Granada at the time. Most of these families blended into Colombian society, though some still kept small Jewish traditions alive within their families.

In the 1700s, Jewish families from Jamaica and Curaçao, where they had been able to live freely under English and Dutch rule, arrived in Colombia. They began to practice their religion openly, even though it was not officially allowed under the Catholic Church’s control. After Colombia gained independence, Judaism became a recognized religion, and the government gave Jews land for a cemetery.

Many Jewish families who arrived in the 1700s and 1800s became important figures in Colombian society. Some married local people and chose to hide or lessen their Jewish identity. These included well-known figures like author Jorge Isaacs and industrialist Santiago Eder, as well as families like De Lima, Salazar, Espinoza, Arias, Ramirez, Perez, and Lobo, who settled in the Cauca Valley region. Over time, most of their descendants grew up following Christian traditions.

In the early 1900s, many Jewish families came to Colombia from Greece, Turkey, North Africa, Syria, and Eastern Europe. A large group arrived after unfair laws against Jews were introduced in Germany in 1933. However, from 1939 to the end of World War II, immigration slowed due to restrictions in Colombia.

Colombia allowed Jewish families who were considered refugees to stay, even when others from Germany were asked to leave. The Jewish community grew quickly in the 1950s and 1960s, with synagogues, schools, and social clubs opening in major cities.

By the early 2000s, Jewish communities were mainly in Bogotá, Barranquilla, Cali, and Medellín. There are 14 official synagogues across the country, and Bogotá is home to many Jewish cultural and religious centers.

Costa Rica

Main article: History of the Jews in Costa Rica

The first Jewish people in Costa Rica were likely conversos, who traveled with Spanish groups in the 1500s and 1600s. Later, in the 1800s, merchants from Curaçao, Jamaica, Panama, and the Caribbean settled in the Central Valley. They married local people and became part of everyday life.

More Jewish families arrived before World War I and during the 1930s, escaping danger in Europe. Many came from a town in Poland called Żelechów. The first synagogue, Shaarei Zion, was built in 1933 in the capital, San José. Today, the Jewish community includes people from America and Israel who live and work in the country. There are about 2,500 to 3,000 Jewish people, most living in San José.

Cuba

Main article: History of the Jews in Cuba

Jews have lived on the island of Cuba for many years. Some Cubans can trace their Jewish roots to people called Marranos who left during the Spanish Inquisition. In the early 1900s, many Jews moved to Cuba, and a big Jewish place of worship, Beth Shalom Temple, was built in Havana. Before 1959, there were about 15,000 Jews in Cuba, but many left after the Cuban revolution.

In the 1990s, many Cuban Jews moved to Israel in a plan called Operation Cigar. By 2007, around 1,500 Jews lived in Cuba, most of them in Havana, where Beth Shalom Temple still serves the community.

Curaçao

Main article: History of the Jews in Curaçao

Curaçao is home to the oldest active Jewish community in the Americas, with its roots going back to 1651. The island also has the oldest synagogue in the Americas, which has been in use since 1732. This Jewish community helped support early Jewish groups in places like New York City and Newport, Rhode Island, where the Touro Synagogue was built. Later, many Jews from Curaçao moved to countries like Colombia and Venezuela, helping those communities grow. Sadly, in 1856 and 1902, Jews in Coro, Venezuela, faced tough times and had to find safety back in Curaçao.

Dominican Republic

Main article: History of the Jews in the Dominican Republic

Many Jewish families, known as conversos, arrived in southern Hispaniola during the 1400s, 1500s, and 1600s. They were escaping difficult times in Spain. Over many years, many of these families mixed with others and some changed their religion, though many still kept parts of their old traditions.

Later, in the 1700s and 1800s, more Jewish families came from a place called Curaçao to live in the Dominican Republic. A small town named Sosua near Puerto Plata was started by Jews who were leaving a troubling time in the 1930s. The leader of the country at that time, Rafael Trujillo, allowed them to come for their skills. Today, Sosua has a special building for religious meetings and a museum about Jewish history. You can still find descendants of these families in many towns in the northern part of the island.

Ecuador

Main article: History of the Jews in Ecuador

Many Jewish families in Ecuador had roots from Spain and kept a special language called Judaeo-Spanish for a long time. Later, most Jewish people in Ecuador came from places like Germany and Poland.

In the 1930s and 1940s, many Jewish families arrived in Ecuador, especially after difficult times in Europe. Some lived in cities like Quito and Guayaquil. Today, the Jewish community in Ecuador is much smaller, with only around 290 people. These families have made important contributions in areas like education, art, and culture.

El Salvador

Main article: History of the Jews in El Salvador

The first Jews arrived in El Salvador as early Spanish settlers in the 16th century. These were people who practiced Judaism in secret. Bernardo Haas, from Alsace, is believed to be the first recognized Jewish immigrant, arriving in 1868. Later, other Jewish families came from places like Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Spain, and France. During World War II, the Jewish community helped some families escape from Europe, though some had to move to other countries like Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama. In 1948, the community started a school called "Colegio Estado de Israel," which is still active today. Today, about 100 Jews live in El Salvador, mostly in the capital city of San Salvador, and they mostly have Sephardic roots.

French Guiana

"History of the Jews in French Guiana" redirects here.

Jews first came to French Guiana with help from the Dutch West India Company. On September 12, 1659, more Jews arrived from Dutch colonies in Brazil. The company chose David Nassy, a Brazilian refugee, to lead a special Jewish settlement on the western side of the island of Cayenne, in an area named Remire or Irmire. Between 1658 and 1659, Paulo Jacomo Pinto talked with Dutch leaders in Amsterdam to let a group of Jews from Livorno, Italy settle in the Americas. On July 20, 1600, over 150 Sephardic Jews left Livorno and moved to Cayenne. The French allowed this, which was unusual for French colonies at that time. However, most of these people later moved to the Dutch colony of Suriname.

Over time, many Jews from Cayenne moved to Suriname. In 1667, British forces took over and moved the remaining Jewish community to either Suriname or Barbados to work in sugarcane fields. Since the late 1600s, only a few Jews lived in French Guiana. In 1992, about 20 Jewish families from Suriname and North Africa tried to start the community again in Cayenne. Today, there are about 800 Jews in French Guiana, mostly living in Cayenne, with a Chabad group helping keep Jewish traditions alive.

Guatemala

"History of the Jews in Guatemala" redirects here.

The first Jewish people to live in Guatemala were hidden followers of Judaism who had converted to Christianity. They came during the time when Spain ruled the area.

Later, in the mid-1800s, Jewish people from Germany moved to Guatemala. After that, more Jewish families came from places in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, especially during the early 1900s and World War II. Today, about 900 Jewish people live in Guatemala, mostly in Guatemala City. These communities include Orthodox, Sephardi, Eastern European, and German traditions.

Haiti

Main article: History of the Jews in Haiti

When Christopher Columbus arrived in Santo Domingo, one of his crew members was Luis de Torres, a Jewish interpreter. He was among the first Jews to settle there in 1492. Later, when France took control of the western part of the island in 1633, more Jewish families arrived from places like Curaçao and English colonies such as Jamaica. They became important in trading and business.

During the late 1700s, there was a big fight for freedom led by Toussaint L'Ouverture. After Haiti became independent in 1804, life became hard for many, and some Jews left the country. In the 1800s, more Jewish families came from places like Poland, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. They worked as traders in port cities. In the 1900s, during a difficult time for Jews in Europe, Haiti allowed some Jewish families to come and live there. By 2010, only about 25 Jewish people were known to live in Haiti, mostly in a neighborhood near Port-au-Prince.

Honduras

Main article: History of the Jews in Honduras

During the 20th century up until the 1980s, many Jewish people moved to Honduras. They came from places like Russia, Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Romania. Some also came from Greece, which has a history of Sephardic Jews, and from Turkey and North Africa, known for Mizrachi heritage. In the 1970s and 1980s, many Jewish people from Israel also joined the community. Over the past twenty years, Jewish life in Honduras has grown stronger. Jewish groups in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula became more active. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch damaged a synagogue, but the Jewish community worked together to rebuild it. Today, most Jewish people in Honduras live in Tegucigalpa.

Jamaica

Main article: History of the Jews in Jamaica

The history of Jews in Jamaica began in the late 1400s when many Jews from Portugal and Spain fled unfair treatment. When the English took control of the colony of Jamaica in 1655, some Jews who had hidden their beliefs started to practice their religion openly again. In 1719, a special place for worship called Kahal Kadosh Neve Tsedek was built in Port Royal. By 1720, about 18 percent of people in the main city, Kingston, were Jewish.

Recent studies show that around 424,000 Jamaicans today are descendants of Jewish families who came from Portugal and Spain. Some still follow Jewish traditions, and many have last names like Abrahams, Alexander, Isaacs, Levy, and Lindo. In 2006, a special center opened to honor 350 years of Jewish life in Jamaica.

Mexico

Main article: History of the Jews in Mexico

Jews began arriving in Mexico as early as 1521, but few settled there because of the strong presence of the Catholic Church.

Later, in the late 1800s, many Jewish families from Germany came to Mexico, invited by the leader Maximilian I. Even more arrived later, escaping unfair treatment in Russia and Eastern Europe. After that, many Jewish families moved to Mexico from Turkey, Morocco, and parts of France when their countries faced difficulties. During World War II, many Jewish families fled from dangerous situations in Europe to find safety in Mexico. Today, Mexico is home to about 67,476 Jewish people, making it the third largest Jewish community in Latin America.

In recent years, Jewish communities have grown in places like Cancún and Playa del Carmen, where they have opened centers to support Jewish traditions and learning.

Nicaragua

Main article: History of the Jews of Nicaragua

In the 20th century, Nicaragua's Jewish community was mostly made up of people from Eastern Europe who arrived after 1929. Most of them lived in Managua. They helped the country's economy by working in farming, making things, and selling goods. In 1972, a big earthquake hurt many Jewish businesses, and some Jews left because of this and because of the fighting during the 1978-1979 Sandinista Revolution. After the leader Anastasio Somoza left in 1979, almost all the Jews left Nicaragua because they were worried about the new government.

Some Americans tried to get support for a group called the Contras by saying the new government did not like Jews, but many groups did not find proof of this. After Daniel Ortega lost an election in 1990, some Jews started to come back to Nicaragua. By 2005, there were about 50 Jews in the country. In 2017, 114 people in Nicaragua chose to become Jewish.

Panama

Main article: History of the Jews in Panama

The history of Jewish people in Panama started with families who had changed their religion to fit in with Spanish and Portuguese explorers. After a law in 1492 made many Jews change their faith or leave Spain, some of these changed families traveled to Panama during the early days of exploration.

In the early 1500s, many Jewish families who had changed their religion came to Panama with Spanish leaders. Some important leaders in Panama had Jewish family members. Later, when Portugal joined with Spain, more Jewish families came from Portugal. They tried to keep their traditions secret because leaders were trying to catch people who still practiced Judaism.

In the 1800s, when Panama was part of a larger country, new Jewish families arrived, speaking many languages and helping with trade and communication. More Jewish people came during times of trouble in Europe and the Middle East. Today, Panama City is the center of Jewish life in Panama, with around 20,000 Jewish people living there. Panama is special because it had two Jewish leaders become president in the past.

Paraguay

Main article: History of the Jews in Paraguay

In the 19th century, Jewish people came to Paraguay from places like France, Switzerland, and Italy. During World War I, more Jewish families arrived from Palestine (especially Jerusalem), Egypt, and Turkey. Later, in the 1920s, many Jewish people came from Ukraine and Poland. Between 1933 and 1939, thousands of Jewish families escaped from places controlled by harsh rulers by moving to Paraguay because the country had friendly rules for new residents. After World War II, many who had been in very hard places also came to Paraguay. Today, about 1,000 Jewish people live mainly in the capital city, Asunción, and most have family from Germany.

Peru

Main article: History of the Jews in Peru

In Peru, many Jewish families, known as conversos, arrived when the Spanish Conquest began. At first, they lived without trouble because the Inquisition had not yet reached Peru. Later, when the Inquisition came, these families faced hard times. Over time, their descendants mixed with local people in areas like Cajamarca and parts of Piura. In more recent history, especially around World War II, many Jews from places like Eastern Europe moved to Lima. Today, these communities play an important role in Peru's economy and politics.

Puerto Rico

Main article: History of the Jews in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico has the biggest Jewish community in the Caribbean today, with more than 3,000 Jewish people. They support four places of worship, three in the capital city of San Juan: one each for Reform, Conservative and Chabad traditions, and another Satmar group in the town of Mayagüez. Many Jewish families lived secretly on the island, hiding their traditions deep in the mountains, just like early Jewish families did in other Spanish and Portuguese colonies. Later, during the Spanish–American War in the late 1800s, Jewish American soldiers joined local Jewish people in Ponce for religious services. After World War II, many Jews from Central and Eastern Europe also came to live there.

Suriname

Main article: History of the Jews in Suriname

Further information: Jodensavanne

Suriname has one of the oldest Jewish communities in the Americas. During tough times in Portugal and Spain around 1500, many Jews moved to the Netherlands and Dutch colonies to escape unfair treatment. Some of these Jews were called New Christians or conversos because they had changed their religion.

Many of these Jews first lived in Recife and became cocoa growers, but later moved to The Guyanas and settled in Suriname in 1639. During World War II, many Jewish people from the Netherlands and Europe came to Suriname to stay safe. Today, about 2,765 Jewish people live in Suriname.

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago, a former British colony, is home to over 500 Jews.

Uruguay

Main article: History of the Jews in Uruguay

Uruguay has one of the largest Jewish communities in Latin America, especially when compared to the size of the country. Jewish people first arrived during the colonial times, with some who had converted to Christianity to escape the Spanish Inquisition. Later, many Jewish families came from nearby countries and from Central and Eastern Europe.

By the early 1900s, Jewish communities had built schools and made their home in areas like the Villa Muñoz neighborhood in the capital, Montevideo. Some Jewish families also settled in rural areas. Many more Jewish people moved to Uruguay in the 1920s and 1930s, even though some people at the time did not want them to come. The country also welcomed many Jewish refugees after World War II. By the 1950s and 1960s, about 50,000 Jewish people lived in Uruguay.

See also: Israel-Uruguay relations

Venezuela

Main article: History of the Jews in Venezuela

The history of Jewish people in Venezuela likely started in the mid-1600s, when some Jewish families lived in Caracas and Maracaibo. During the early 1800s, when Venezuela was fighting for independence from Spain, a leader named Simón Bolívar and his sister received help from Jewish families living on the nearby island of Curaçao. After Venezuela became independent, more Jewish families moved from Curaçao to a town called Santa Ana Coro, where they were allowed to practice their religion freely.

By the late 1800s, about 247 Jewish people were recorded as citizens in Venezuela. Over time, more Jewish families arrived, especially after World War II. By 1950, the Jewish community had grown to around 6,000 people. However, in recent years, many Jewish people have moved away from Venezuela because of political problems and unfair treatment. Today, about 10,000 Jewish people live in Venezuela, most of them in the capital city, Caracas.

Reported Jewish populations in the Americas and the Caribbean in 2014

¹ CIA World Factbook, with most estimates current as of July 2014; Jewish Virtual Library: Vital Statistics: Jewish Population of the World (1882 – Present).