The Jewish community of Barbados, currently home to about 100 Jews, has a long history extending back to the 17th century. The historic Nidhe Israel Synagogue, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, is located inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison area.
The Barbados affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Barbados Jewish Community Council.
A year after the British colonization of Barbados in 1627, Spanish and Portuguese Jews – known as Conversos – began settling on the island, and in 1654, the Jewish community of Bridgetown, the country’s capital, was formed and a synagogue established.
Spanish and Portuguese Jews had formed a part of the Dutch colonization of Recife in Northern Brazil. They subsequently were instrumental in the establishment of the sugar industry in Barbados. Barbados was the first British territory where Jews obtained full political rights, and by the late 17th century, there were two Jewish communities in Bridgetown and Speightstown.
Jewish members of the community were considered to be good businessmen and were taxed at higher levels than others in Barbados. This discriminatory law was lifted by the colonial government in 1702, and throughout the 18th century, the Jewish community in Barbados continued to grow and flourish financially (despite the closing of the Jewish congregation in Speightstown).
A massive hurricane wreaked havoc across the island in 1831, leading to a decline in both the local economy and the Jewish community’s fortunes. During this period, many Jews immigrated to the United States, and by 1925, there were no Jews in Barbados. That same year, the Nidhe Israel Synagogue was deconsecrated and sold.
With the rise of Nazism, Moses Altman was the first of 40 Jewish families who had fled Europe and settled in Barbados. In 1987, the Nidhe Israel Synagogue was rededicated, and the Old Jewish cemetery in Bridgetown was restored soon afterward. The Nidhe Israel Museum (adjacent to the synagogue) was opened in 2008, and in 2011, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage historic Bridgetown and its Garrison area.
As of 2015, the Jewish population was estimated to include roughly 100 people.
The Barbadian Jewish community manages the Historic Nidhe Israel Synagogue. The major Jewish initiative was the Bridgetown Synagogue 1654 project, chaired by Sir Paul Altman, which restored the Nidhe Israel Synagogue and built the Nidhe Israel Museum, discovered and restored the original mikveh and restored the adjacent graveyard. This initiative completed the restoration of other historic buildings which now encompasses the entire city block.
For further information about the Nidhe Israel Synagogue, contact Sir Paul Altman at: bridgetownsynagogue1654@gmail.com, telephone 1-246-432-7613.
Barbados has two synagogues in Bridgetown: The Nidhe Israel Synagogue, which holds services during the winter season when international Jews visit the island; and the smaller ShaareTzedek synagogue which holds services the rest of the year. Both are affiliated with the Conservative movement. The entirety of Jewish religious life in Barbados is conducted through the synagogue.
Despite the small size of the community today, Barbadian Jewry has a rich history. Notable Jewish sites can be found in Bridgetown in the aptly named “Synagogue Lane.” Sites there include the Nidhe Synagogue, a Jewish museum detailing the history of Jewish life in Barbados, and the old Jewish cemetery, which contains some of the oldest Jewish graves in the Western world. There is also a historic mikveh.
Israel and Barbados have full diplomatic ties and Israel has both a non-resident ambassador and an Honorary Consul-General in Bridgetown. In 1975, Barbados voted against the United Nations' “Zionism is racism” resolution, and in 2012, Barbados was one of only three Caribbean states not to vote in favor of a Palestinian state at the UN; together with the Bahamas and Haiti, the three countries abstained.
Embassy of Israel to the Caribbean
800 Second Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
Telephone: (212) 499-5518; (212) 499-5572
