Last reported in 2022, there are currently only two Jews in all of Guyana.
In 1659, the Dutch West India Company nominated a refugee from Brazil, David Nassy, as a patron of an exclusive Jewish settlement on the island of Cayenne, named Remire.
Guyana
WJC Affiliate
History
In 1659, the Dutch West India Company nominated a refugee from Brazil, David Nassy, as a patron of an exclusive Jewish settlement on the island of Cayenne named Remire. The Portuguese Jewish refugees from Brazil were joined by Sephardi Jews from Leghorn, Italy.
The Years of the Holocaust
Before the outbreak of World War II, there were a handful of Jews in the capital, Georgetown, but there was neither an organized community nor a synagogue. Early in 1939, 165 Jewish refugees from Europe who arrived on the S.S. Koenigstein were not permitted to disembark, and shortly thereafter, the government barred immigration. However, 130 Jews found refuge in the country during the interwar years, although most of them eventually emigrated.
Demography
In 1992, a group of about 20 Jewish families from North Africa and Suriname refounded a community in Cayenne. The 2024 statistics report that the Jewish population consists of 40 individuals.
Religious and Cultural Life
Jews are aided in maintaining Jewish life by the Chabad organization.
Kosher Food
It is reported by a Chabad Rabbi of Saint Lucia that, as of November 2023, there are no kosher food options.
Relations with Israel
Israel’s representation to Guyana is through Israel’s New York Embassy to the Caribbean, which also covers seven other Caribbean States. Guyana’s embassy to Israel is also located in New York.
Ties between the two countries have been growing stronger each year since Israel and Guyana established diplomatic relations over two decades ago. In 2013, bilateral trade reached nearly four million U.S. dollars.
Ever-increasing numbers of Guyanese professionals travel to Israel for advanced courses in a number of fields, including agriculture and public health.
Jewish Community:
Pilo Sav 19, Av D'Estrees
Cayenne 97300
BP 655
Cayenne
Guyane Francaise
CEDEX 97335
Telephone: 594 30 39 34
Fax: 594 31 78 93
More Communities
See All
Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter
The latest from the Jewish world
