Jamaica is home to a plethora of sites and attractions tailored for Jewish travelers from all over the world, making for memorable, educational, and meaningful trips in the Caribbean.
Kingston is home to the Shaare Shalom Synagogue, the only temple on the island and one of four “sand floor synagogues” remaining in the world. Built in the 17th century by descendants of Jews fleeing the Inquisition, today the synagogue is adjacent to a museum of Jamaican Jewish history. The synagogue can host up to 600 people—typically services are a mix of tourists and the 300 or so Jewish Jamaicans. The synagogue floors are still covered with sand, the mechanism used by Sephardic Jews to muffle the sound of prayers during the Inquisition. The synagogue also hosts the Hillel Academy, one of Jamaica’s top prep schools.With a grand collection of historical Judaica, the synagogue is considered one of the finest historical collections in the Caribbean.
- Jamaica has a forgotten legacy of Jewish pirates. Many of the Jews who settled in Jamaica after fleeing the Spanish Inquisition turned to piracy, raiding the Spanish fleet as a way of revenge for the injustice served to them. The old Jewish cemetery in Kingston has many tombstones featuring not only Hebrew writing and the Star of David but also the signature skull and crossbones, the symbol of pirates. The most famous Jewish Jamaican pirate, Moses Cohen Henriques, led the only successful capture of the Spanish treasure fleet in 1628.
Kosher Hot Spot Jerk Falafel
- In 2018, Jamaica hosted the Royal Passover Program.To prepare for this event, many properties transformed their kitchens to meet kashrut requirements, which are still upheld. Some properties also offer services on the beach for Shabbat during peak-season times.
- Chabad Jamaica has partnered with the Jamaica Tourist Board on many initiatives to promote Jewish Jamaica.Most notably, Chabad’s Kosher Hot Spot restaurant in Montego Bay doubles as a welcome center where visitors can learn about Chabad’s growth in Jamaica, try a delicious jerk falafel, and get connected for on-island Shabbat and holiday services.
- The remains of the Gibraltar Refugee Camp, which was built by the British in the 1940s to provide a safe haven for Jews fleeing Fascist Spain, provide visitors with a rare opportunity for exposure to Holocaust history in North America.A reunion of the camp’s survivors was hosted in 2017, giving new life to the site of the camp, now on the campus of the University of the West Indies. Artifacts from the camp are on display in the university’s museum.
- Jews who have had a long history in Jamaica can find representation in The National Gallery, Jamaica’s public art museum in the Kingston mall. Much of the artwork has been produced or inspired by Jews in Jamaica, who have faced centuries of struggle against adversity before finding a new life in the New World.
- Visitors to the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston find a striking resemblance between Rastafarianism and Judaism, particularly Kabbalah spiritualism. A lot of the art and décor resembles traditional Jewish designs found in Tsfat.
- The popular cruise port town of Falmouth is known for its walking tours, many of which include the Jewish Cemetery as a stop on the tour. Established in the early 19th century, the stop on the tour is a welcome reminder of the long history of Jews in the Caribbean.
- Devon House, one of Jamaica’s premiere heritage sites, has a surprising Jewish history to it. Built in 1881, the colonial mansion was commissioned for George Stiebel, who was not only Jamaica’s first Black millionaire but also the son of a German Jew. Devon House has tours of the luxurious property and is home to various culinary treats, such as an ice cream parlor and a bakery.
New York Jewish Travel Guide
