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Double Dutch Treat:
Curacaos' Old And New Charms

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3,000, and were responsible for its
commerce and shipping. Six syna-
gogues flourished.
The hemisphere's earliest extant syn-
yen during a walking tour
agogue
in continual use is
through the renascent
Congregation
Mikve Israel-Emanuel,
Otrabanda, reminders of
dedicated
in
1732
(the fourth syna-
Curacao's long Jewish histo-
gogue on the site) in Punda, the down-
ry are obvious — the very knowledge-
town section. [Tour° Synagogue in
able art historian Jennifer Smit, who
Newport, R.I., claims it's the
provided a lively history of the
oldest in continual use in
section across the St. Anna Bay
Sonesta Beach North America].
from Willemstad's more
Resort near
The synagogue's exterior is
famous Punda, is Jewish.
Wilk mstad.
typical
of the city's Dutch
She revealed 18th-century
Colonial
style: gabled stucco
mint green and coral houses
buildings painted golden yellow with
being restored along Zaautjirskeg and
tiled roof and curlicued, rococo white
bustling reconstruction activity in
swirls reminiscent of Dutch lace cur-
Conscientiesteeg, an area where artists
tains.
and artisans have lived. The latest
The interior is modeled after
preservation is an old, waterfront col-
Amsterdam's
1675-Portuguese
lege being converted to a medical
Synagogue.
Although
equally graceful,
school for Americans, formerly located
the Curacao copy is smaller and more
on volcano-devastated Montserrat.
tropical in feeling. White columns
Jews began arriving on this island in
contrast with dark, highly polished red
1634, beginning with Samuel Cohen,
mahogany bimah (pulpit) and pews.
an interpreter for the Dutch army
Mahogany louvers frame windows
when it captured Curacao from Spain;
capped with royal blue stained glass
even today, in a country that's 85 'per-
arches that counterpoint glimpses of
cent Catholic, about 3 percent of the
golden walls beyond. Sterling silver
population is Jewish. Their contribu-
candlesticks and two of the gleaming
tions add to the secular attractions that
brass chandeliers date from an earlier,
make this Caribbean destination
Outgrown 1703 - synagogue; the congre-
unique.
gation
officially dates from 1651.
Jews who had fled the Inquisition
As
in
many Sephardic synagogues,
— some living as secret Jews in
sand
covers
the floors, symbolizing the
Portugal, others openly as Jews in the
desert
through
which Moses and the
Netherlands — migrated to the New
Jews
wandered;
God's covenant with
World's Dutch-held settlements when
Abraham ("I will multiply thy seed ...
Prince Maurice of Orange encouraged
as the sand which is upon the seashore
settlers. They became farmers initially
... and in thy seed shall all the nations
and, later, merchants. The only rem-
of
the earth be blessed"); or the sand
nant of Neve Shalom, the synagogue
which
muffled sounds of prayers from
that was consecrated in Otrabanda in
Jews
hidden
in basements during the
1746, is a brass Chanukiah that now
Inquisition.
rests in the Jewish Museum.
Within the complex, the Jewish
At that time, Jews numbered half
Cultural Museum is housed in two
the island's white population of about

MOLLY AROST STAUB
Special to The Jewish News

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