The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue (Hebrew: בית הכנסת מקווה ישראל-עמנואל; English: The Hope of Israel-Emanuel Synagogue), in Willemstad, Curaçao, is the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas. It is commonly known as the Snoa (short for esnoga, an old Portuguese and Judaeo-Spanish word for synagogue) and is a major tourist attraction in Curaçao, with one notable group of visitors including Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her family, in 1992.[1]
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel בית הכנסת מקווה ישראל-עמנואל
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, Willemstad, Curaçao, western façade
The community (congregation Mikvé Israel) dates from the 1650s, and consisted of Spanish and Portuguese Jews from the Netherlands and Brazil. In the nineteenth century there was a breakaway Reform community (Emanu El); the two merged to form the present community in 1964. The community is now affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism.
The first synagogue building was purchased in 1674; the current building dates from 1730.[2] One visitor to the synagogue observed, upon entering through a quiet courtyard, viewing the azure stained glass windows and walking across a sand covered floor toward the carved mahogany Holy Ark that the sand floors remind congregants "of how its Jewish ancestors on the Iberian peninsula covered the floors of their makeshift prayer houses so that their footsteps would be muffled and the suspicion of potential denouncers would not be aroused."[3] With its three high vaulted ceilings, the Holy Ark and the pulpit, the galleries, the benches and the chandeliers,[4] the interior of the synagogue bears a marked resemblance to the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. Attached to the synagogue is the Jewish Historical Cultural Museum, whose collection includes replicas of artistic tombstones from the Beit Chaim Bleinheim in Curaçao, the oldest Jewish cemetery still in use in the Western Hemisphere.[5]
The other Royal Dutch island in the Caribbean with a historical synagogue is Sint Eustatius, where the ruins of the Honen Dalim synagogue of 1739 still stand on the Synagogepad. An even older synagogue existed at Jodensavanne, Suriname, Beracha ve Shalom ("Blessings and Peace"), built between 1665 and 1671. Unlike the Curaçao synagogue, however, these other synagogues are no longer in use.
curaçao, synagogue, similarly, named, synagogues, mikveh, israel, mikvé, israel, emanuel, synagogue, hebrew, בית, הכנסת, מקווה, ישראל, עמנואל, english, hope, israel, emanuel, synagogue, willemstad, curaçao, oldest, surviving, synagogue, americas, commonly, kno. For similarly named synagogues see Mikveh Israel The Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue Hebrew בית הכנסת מקווה ישראל עמנואל English The Hope of Israel Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad Curacao is the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas It is commonly known as the Snoa short for esnoga an old Portuguese and Judaeo Spanish word for synagogue and is a major tourist attraction in Curacao with one notable group of visitors including Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and her family in 1992 1 Mikve Israel Emanuelבית הכנסת מקווה ישראל עמנואלMikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue Willemstad Curacao western facadeReligionAffiliationReconstructionist JudaismRiteSephardiEcclesiastical or organizational statusActiveLocationLocationHanchi di Snoa 29 Punda WillemstadCountryCuracaoArchitectureCompleted1674WebsiteSNOA comThe community congregation Mikve Israel dates from the 1650s and consisted of Spanish and Portuguese Jews from the Netherlands and Brazil In the nineteenth century there was a breakaway Reform community Emanu El the two merged to form the present community in 1964 The community is now affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism The first synagogue building was purchased in 1674 the current building dates from 1730 2 One visitor to the synagogue observed upon entering through a quiet courtyard viewing the azure stained glass windows and walking across a sand covered floor toward the carved mahogany Holy Ark that the sand floors remind congregants of how its Jewish ancestors on the Iberian peninsula covered the floors of their makeshift prayer houses so that their footsteps would be muffled and the suspicion of potential denouncers would not be aroused 3 With its three high vaulted ceilings the Holy Ark and the pulpit the galleries the benches and the chandeliers 4 the interior of the synagogue bears a marked resemblance to the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam Attached to the synagogue is the Jewish Historical Cultural Museum whose collection includes replicas of artistic tombstones from the Beit Chaim Bleinheim in Curacao the oldest Jewish cemetery still in use in the Western Hemisphere 5 The other Royal Dutch island in the Caribbean with a historical synagogue is Sint Eustatius where the ruins of the Honen Dalim synagogue of 1739 still stand on the Synagogepad An even older synagogue existed at Jodensavanne Suriname Beracha ve Shalom Blessings and Peace built between 1665 and 1671 Unlike the Curacao synagogue however these other synagogues are no longer in use sanctuary with mahogany bemah view through shuttered windows mahogany bemah showing sand floor western facade Hebrew inscriptions over entrance courtyard view looking outwardSee also editOldest synagogues in the world South America and Caribbean Portuguese Synagogue Amsterdam References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mikve Israel Synagogue Dwindling Community of Curacao Maintains Oldest Synagogue in West Archived from the original on 2014 01 06 Curacao Virtual Jewish History Tour www jewishvirtuallibrary org Retrieved 28 August 2017 A Journey to Jewish Curacao Hallelujah Assemble Pray Study Synagogues Past and Present Beit Hatfutsot Archived from the original on 2019 10 02 Welcome to Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue Mikve Israel Emanuel 12 6 18 N 68 55 57 W 12 10500 N 68 93250 W 12 10500 68 93250 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Curacao Synagogue amp oldid 1176496446, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
