Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island country 40 miles off the South American coast of Venezuela, is home to a small, Jewish community of fewer than 350 people. Consecrated in 1732, the Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue is the oldest Jewish house of worship in continuous use in the Americas. Throughout the centuries, Jews of Curaçao have thrived in the fields of trade, shipping, commerce, and banking, and made a substantial impact on intellectual, political, and social life on the island. The Curaçao affiliate of the World Jewish Congress is the Sinagoga Mikvé-Israel – Emmanuel (Jewish Community of Curaçao).