History of the Jews in Haiti
Part of a series on |
Jews and Judaism |
---|
The history of the Jews in Haiti stretches from the beginning of the European settlement until the modern day.
As of 2013, the Jewish population was around 25, predominantly in the capital of Port-au-Prince.[1]
History
The first Jewish settlement
In 1492, the first
In the mid-1700s, many Jews returned to Haiti.
Due to a lack of Jewish community centers, many youth did not grow up with a Jewish education and had to hide their Judaism, as only Catholics were permitted to attend public school. Jews generally preferred to settle on the coastline in port cities, as many were involved in commerce and trade, establishing communities in major industry centers. Recently, archaeologists uncovered an ancient synagogue of
; many Jews from the Middle East felt secure emigrating to Haiti, as a law in France had been passed during this period that gave French citizenship to minorities in the Americas.Modern times
In 1915, during the
Judaism
Today, the Jewish community is led by Rabbi Douglas Lapin, a local businessman. The Jewish community is known as the "Consistoire d'Haiti" and has been recognized as the representative of the Jewish community by the Haitian Ministry of Religion (Ministere des Cultes) <Rep. d'Haiti; Ministere des Cultes DG/909 6 fevrier 2017>. Rabbi Lapin has likewise been recognized as the Rabbi in Haiti by the Haitian government<Tribunal de Premiere Instance de Port-au-Prince; Recipisse No. 3710084007-7; 4 Octobre 2017>. The community is very small and mostly consists of UN, NGO, and diplomatic personnel, although there are a small number of Haitian Jewish families. The community does Kosher chicken slaughtering (shechita) and has occasional gatherings for Jewish festivals such as Sukkot and Purim. There is also an Etrog, Myrtle (Hadass) and Willow (Aravah) plantation to supply local needs for Sukkot. The community is working on developing a synagogue and community center. There is a complete library of Jewish liturgical books (
Business
The 1960s was a time of wealth and high hopes of large future development for Haiti. At the time met many family Jewish names such as: Alvarez, Cardozo, Cohen, Dreyfus, Goldman, Hakim, Hillel, Khan, Monsanto, Pereira, Salzmann, Silveira, and Weiner, which most had forgotten their ethno-religious backgrounds. Today, less than a hundred Jews remain in Haiti of its 9.5 million inhabitants; however, the Weiners (coffee exporters) and the Salzmanns (refugees from Austria) are still today relevant in trade.[10][11]
Notable Haitian Jews
- Eric André – actor, comedian and television host
- Syrian Jewishdescent and Israeli honorary consul in Haiti
- Luis de Torres – one of the first Jews to settle on Haiti, and also Christopher Columbus's interpreter
- Rachmani Rosh Domersant – philanthropist, businessman, university professor
- jewelry designer
- Russian Jewishdescent
See also
- Haiti-Israel relations
References
- ^ a b "Haiti". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- ^ a b Press, ed. (13 February 2004). "Around the Jewish World As Haiti Burns, Its Few Jews Choose Business over Politics". JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). Retrieved 21 December 2015.
- ^ "Caribbeans, Spanish--Portuguese Nation of the: La Nacion". Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ISBN 965-229-279-6.
- ^ a b c d "The Virtual Jewish World: Haiti". Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- ^ Press, ed. (28 January 2010). "From the Archives: Haiti Helped Holocaust Refugees". American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ^ a b KAT (7 March 2012). "Haiti History 101: Haiti's Role in Saving Jewish Families During the Holocaust". Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- ^ "France Asked to Return Money 'Extorted' From Haiti". The New York Times. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
- The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ "First Jews In Haiti". Retrieved 2014-02-12.
- ^ Yerouchalmi, ed. (17 January 2010). "Haïti, les Juifs et Israël" (in French). Des Infos. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
Further reading
- Martinque, Guadeloupe, Haiti: M. Arbell, "Jewish Settlements in the French Colonies in the Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti) and the 'Black Code,'" in: Jews and the Expansion of Europe to the West (2001); A. Cahen, "Les Juifs dans les colonies francaises au xviii siecle," in: Revue des Etudes Juives, 4 (1882): 127–45, 238–72.
- The Jewish Nation of the Caribbean. pp. 288–297.
- Jews and the Expansion of Europe to the West, 1400-1800. pp. 304–308.
- Rara!: Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and Its Diaspora, Volume 1. pp. 131–133.
- Encyclopaedia Judaica, Volume 9. pp. 239–240.
- "A look into Haiti's tiny Jewish community". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- "Antisemitism Without Jews; In Haiti, a Short Journey Into Myth, Memory and Nightmare". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 March 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2014. (subscription required)
- "Haiti's Jewish Remnant Keeps the Faith and Lends a Hand Amid the Crisis". The Jewish Daily Forward. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- "Haiti's Jews try to pick up the pieces". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
- Bernard, Joseph jr, "Histoire juive d'Haïti". Port-au-Prince, Editions Henri Deschamps, 2013.https://www.amazon.com/Histoire-Juive-dHaiti-Joseph-Bernard/dp/9993574317
Bernard, Joseph Jr, "Haiti's Jewish History": https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08TQ965QX/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_b08tq965qx