I recently learned that the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere is located in…Willemstad, Curaçao.
Right? Random. And so cool.
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue was consecrated as an Orthodox temple in 1732; the community that formed the temple is even older, dating back to a handful of Dutch Jewish families who had been granted agriculture land by the Dutch West India Company in 1651. This same community had fled the Spanish Inquisition several generations earlier. The first Torah arrived on the island in 1659 with a new group of Dutch-Portuguese settlers.
Synagogue members are now officially known as United Netherlands-Portuguese Israelite Congregation Mikvé Israel-Emanuel. Mikvé Israel-Emanuel has been affiliated with reconstructionist Judaism since 1964. A little over half of the congregation still traces their ancestry through those original Sephardic settlers; Ashkenazi Jews, who were admitted as members starting in 1950, make up the other half.
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel and the adjoining Jewish Cultural Historical Museum are well worth a visit. Located just off the canal, the synagogue is a quiet refuge in a hot and hopping city. Entering the courtyard, you’ll be directed to purchase museum tickets ($10pp) to your left and then to enter the synagogue to the right. The first thing you’ll like notice is the sand-covered floor. Initially this didn’t strike me as particularly notable (it’s a tropical island, after all), but I soon learned that the sand was actually imported from the Dead Sea and serves as a reminder of the congregation’s Spanish history - during the Inquisition, sand was spread on the floors of religious meeting houses to muffle the sounds of footsteps, and indeed your footsteps disappear immediately upon entering.
Take your time enjoying the small but peaceful space before crossing the courtyard to the museum (note that photos are not allowed in the museum at this time). A large timeline details Curaçao’s Jewish history, while the foyer to the museum, housed in a former rabbi’s residence, holds replicas of headstones from Beth Haim Bleinham, established in 1659. The two Jewish cemeteries on the island (Beth Haim Bleinham and Beth Haim Berg Altena) can be visited free of cost Sundays through Thursdays between 7am-6pm and Fridays 7am - 4pm and explored virtually online. You may want to call beforehand to arrange a guided tour and ensure they are not closed for a Jewish holiday. The museum is currently working to install a new exhibit about island life in Curaçao during WWII, which is bound to be fascinating. Before entering the first floor of the museum, check out the small space next to the door - you don’t want to miss the original mikvah (ritual bath). Inside you’ll find two floors jam-packed with artifacts that are doubly meaningful - not only are they historically significant, but most were donated by members of the congregation.
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel and the Jewish Historical Cultural Museum are, for me, a magical bit of cultural exploration - a site of peace, a rich historical journey; a place that takes the perhaps familiar sights of Shabbat candlesticks or hannukiah, and, placing them in an entirely unexpected space, forces you to re-evaluate their part in your life.
Visit the synagogue and museum at 29 Hanchi Snoa between 9am-4:30-PM M-F.
To learn more about Jewish life and history in Curaçao, visit:
https://jewishcuracao.com/jewish-history-in-curacao/
https://jewishmuseumcuracao.org/
https://www.peopleareculture.com/curacao-synagogue/