Once Jews: Stories of Caribbean Sephardim
The phrase "I am Catholic, but I am Jewish" may seem contradictory to some, but in the Caribbean islands and the countries of the Caribbean periphery, there are hundreds if not thousands of individuals who identify themselves in this manner and can trace their ancestry back to the early Sephardim of the Dutch island of Curaçao. The nineteenth century was a time of great political and economic upheaval in the Caribbean, precipitating waves of migration away from stagnant economies, revolutions, and religious persecution. The Sephardic Jews of Curaçao were active participants in this changing environment. They left the recessionary economy of the Dutch island in search of better opportunities in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Coro, Venezuela; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Barranquilla, Colombia; and many other Caribbean ports. Here, the Lopez Penhas, De Marchenas, Delvalles, Capriles, Sassos, Seniors, Curiels, Salas, and Alvares Correas involved themselves in all aspects of their new abodes. They were retailers, traders, politicians, poets, industrial entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, each contributing in their own way to the economic and cultural growth of the countries that became their homes. Over time, they and their descendants fully assimilated into their host communities. Yet, throughout the centuries, the generations that came after them continued to remember their Sephardic, Curaçaoan heritage. This book tells their stories.
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Once Jews: Stories of Caribbean Sephardim
The phrase "I am Catholic, but I am Jewish" may seem contradictory to some, but in the Caribbean islands and the countries of the Caribbean periphery, there are hundreds if not thousands of individuals who identify themselves in this manner and can trace their ancestry back to the early Sephardim of the Dutch island of Curaçao. The nineteenth century was a time of great political and economic upheaval in the Caribbean, precipitating waves of migration away from stagnant economies, revolutions, and religious persecution. The Sephardic Jews of Curaçao were active participants in this changing environment. They left the recessionary economy of the Dutch island in search of better opportunities in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Coro, Venezuela; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Barranquilla, Colombia; and many other Caribbean ports. Here, the Lopez Penhas, De Marchenas, Delvalles, Capriles, Sassos, Seniors, Curiels, Salas, and Alvares Correas involved themselves in all aspects of their new abodes. They were retailers, traders, politicians, poets, industrial entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, each contributing in their own way to the economic and cultural growth of the countries that became their homes. Over time, they and their descendants fully assimilated into their host communities. Yet, throughout the centuries, the generations that came after them continued to remember their Sephardic, Curaçaoan heritage. This book tells their stories.
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Once Jews: Stories of Caribbean Sephardim

Once Jews: Stories of Caribbean Sephardim

by Josette C Goldish
Once Jews: Stories of Caribbean Sephardim

Once Jews: Stories of Caribbean Sephardim

by Josette C Goldish

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Overview

The phrase "I am Catholic, but I am Jewish" may seem contradictory to some, but in the Caribbean islands and the countries of the Caribbean periphery, there are hundreds if not thousands of individuals who identify themselves in this manner and can trace their ancestry back to the early Sephardim of the Dutch island of Curaçao. The nineteenth century was a time of great political and economic upheaval in the Caribbean, precipitating waves of migration away from stagnant economies, revolutions, and religious persecution. The Sephardic Jews of Curaçao were active participants in this changing environment. They left the recessionary economy of the Dutch island in search of better opportunities in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Coro, Venezuela; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Barranquilla, Colombia; and many other Caribbean ports. Here, the Lopez Penhas, De Marchenas, Delvalles, Capriles, Sassos, Seniors, Curiels, Salas, and Alvares Correas involved themselves in all aspects of their new abodes. They were retailers, traders, politicians, poets, industrial entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, each contributing in their own way to the economic and cultural growth of the countries that became their homes. Over time, they and their descendants fully assimilated into their host communities. Yet, throughout the centuries, the generations that came after them continued to remember their Sephardic, Curaçaoan heritage. This book tells their stories.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781558764941
Publisher: Wiener, Markus Publishers, Incorporated
Publication date: 03/15/2009
Pages: 352
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I: Stories of Caribbean Sephardim
Chapter 1 - CURAÇAO
Life on a Small Island
Chapter 2 - ST. THOMAS, DANISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Island of Opportunity
A Woman of Valor: Hannah Sasso Piza
Dedicated to His People: Benjamin Salom Delvalle
Memories of St. Thomas
Chapter 3 - CORO, VENEZUELA
Gloria al Bravo Pueblo Que el Yugo Lanzó
An Early Success in Coro, Venezuela: Jeudah Senior
Coro, the Second Time Around: Abraham, Isaac, and Josias Senior
Venezuela, Here We Come! The Capriles-Ricardo Family
Corianos and Their Jewish Neighbors
Chapter 4 - SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Settling in Unsettled Santo Domingo
The De Marchenas of Santo Domingo
Later Sephardic Immigrants: Samuel Curiel and Moisés Salas Baiz
Haim Lopez Penha and His Dominican Sons
Catholic Jews
Chapter 5 - BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA
Trade Emporium of the Caribbean
Entrepreneurs par Excellence: The Alvares Correa-Cortissoz Families of Barranquilla
Contrasting Lives: The Lopez Penhas of Barranquilla
Smitten by Handsome Barranquilleros
Part II: Analysis and Conclusions
Chapter 6 - Going, Going … Gone: A Comparative Analysis
Chapter 7 - The Importance of Population Size
Chapter 8 - Freemasonry and the Caribbean Sephardim
Chapter 9 - Gender and Continuity in Curaçao
Chapter 10 - La Donna Immobile: The Limited Options for Sephardic Women
Chapter 11 - Enduring Ties with Curaçao
Chapter 12 - How Can We Sing the Song of the Lord on Alien Soil?
Appendixes
A. Genealogical Charts
B. Analysis of Marital Status among Curaçao’s Sephardim
C. Use of Names
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Photo Credits
About the Author
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