Showing posts with label St. thomas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. thomas. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

The secret history of the Jewish Caribbean

The secret history of the Jewish Caribbean

by Melanie Reffes, Special for USA TODAY | Published on August 17, 2015

With a smile as wide as the sea, Ainsley Henriques is delighted to show-off the synagogue that is near and dear to him. Melanie Reffes

A vacation favorite for year-round sunny skies and sandy beaches, the Caribbean is also an intriguing potpourri of diverse communities. Loud and proud, the story of Jewish ties to the Caribbean is a fascinating one, dating back to Christopher Columbus and his first trans-Atlantic voyage. Home to some of the oldest Jewish communities in the Americas, the Caribbean also lays claim to synagogues with sandy floors, cemeteries that date back hundreds of years and Jewish families who still call the islands home. Whether you’re planning to marry in a Jewish ceremony, host a Bar Mitzvah, celebrate Rosh Hashanah from September 13 – 15, observe Yom Kippur from September 22 -23 or simply have a hankering for a good pastrami sandwich, check out our sampling of Caribbean Jewish roots.

Jamaica 
In a striking white building on Duke Street in Kingston, the synagogue called the United Congregation of Israelites or Shaare Shalom is a licensed attraction by the Jamaica Tourist Board. (Photo: Jamaica Tourism Board)

With a smile as wide as the sea, Ainsley Henriques is delighted to show-off the synagogue that is near and dear to him. The affable grandfather is not only the Director of Jamaica's only synagogue; he’s also the enthusiastic keeper of Jewish Jamaican history, which dates back to 1494 when Spanish Jew Luis de Torres sailed to Jamaica as Christopher Columbus’s interpreter. In a striking white building on Duke Street in Kingston, the synagogue called the United Congregation of Israelites or Shaare Shalom has a sandy floor as a memorial to the Jews who once practiced in secret. 

A shrine to the past and a beacon for the future, the synagogue is a licensed attraction by the Jamaica Tourist Board. "We now have something in common with the Bob Marley Museum and coffee tours to the Blue Mountains," Henriques smiles. For visitors, the century-old synagogue is open Mondays to Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., for prayers on Friday and Saturday and for holiday celebrations. Next door, the Jamaican Jewish Heritage Centre is also open to the public. In Montego BayChabad Lubavitch — a New York based Jewish outreach organization with over 3,000 centers in 65 countries — is open near Sandals Royal Caribbean for holiday services, kosher meals and advice about weddings and bar mitzvahs. For history buffs, Jewish Jamaica offers tours to the port town of Falmouth where prosperous Jewish families once lived. You'll be shown around Jewish-owned sugar plantations and Great Houses and cemeteries like the one in Montego Bay next to the synagogue that was wiped out during the 1912 hurricane.

Cayman Islands
Although there is not a synagogue per se, Chabad House is the go-to-spot for the 300-500 Jews calling the Cayman Islands home and tourists who may want to marry on the island. (Photo: Chabad Cayman)

On Grand Cayman in the Seven Mile Beach strip across the street from the Marriott Resort and the Queen’s Court Plaza, Chabad House is a community center with programs like a Hebrew School, classes for moms and tots, Sabbath prayers open to everyone and holiday celebrations that are particularly lively affairs. Although there is not a synagogue per se, Chabad House is the go-to-spot for the 300-500 Jews calling the Cayman Islands home and tourists who may want to marry on the island. 

For religious Jews, there is a surprisingly big selection of kosher food at Foster's Food Fair and Kirk Market and for those on the hunt for a pastrami or corned beef sandwich, Foster's at the Strand in the Seven Mile Beach area is the store of choice. For the Jewish New Year, Ritz-Carltonis hosting a holiday dinner with tickets priced at USD $45.00 for adults and USD$30.00 for children. In addition to a grand dinner at the grand resort, Israel’s Soul Key Choir is providing the evening's entertainment.

Barbados
Nidhe Israel, also known as Bridgetown Jewish Synagogue was bought back by the Jewish community in 1983. (Photo: Jewish Treasures of the Caribbean)

The only synagogue in Barbados, Nidhe Israel, also known as Bridgetown Jewish Synagogue, is also one of the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere and a Barbados National Trustproperty. Built in 1654, destroyed by a hurricane in 1831, rebuilt years later and eventually sold in 1929, the 350-year-old house of worship was bought back by the Jewish community in 1983 and today is striking with Gothic arches, grand chandelier and a stained-glass window etched with the Star of David. The first Jews in Barbados arrived from Brazil in the 1600’s, bringing with them the windmill technology that made the sugar industry hugely profitable. 

By 1925, just a few remained although more families emigrated during the Holocaust. Adjacent to the synagogue, the cemetery is interesting to see with graves that date to the 1660’s, including those of Samuel Hart, founder of the Great Synagogue of London and Moses Hart, the first Jew to live in Virginia. Within walking distance of Nelson’s Statue and Queens Park, Nidhe Israel Synagogue and Museum is open for tours Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

St. Thomas


Jews first settled on the then Danish-ruled island in 1655, but a Congregation wasn't officially founded until 1796. Only nine Jewish families belonged to the congregation in 1801, but by 1803 it had increased to 22, with arrivals from Holland, England, France, and the islands of St. Eustatius and Curaçao. Finally, in 1833 the synagogue called the Hebrew Congregation of St Thomas was built; the oldest in continuous use under the American flag (St. Thomas is part of the US Virgin Islands which is an American territory). 

Famous Jews born on St. Thomas include David Levy Yulee, Florida’s first senator and French Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. Similar to many synagogues in the Caribbean, the floor is made of sand, honoring the Spanish Jews who were forced to pray secretly to avoid religious persecution. Visitors are invited to join the Friday and Saturday prayer services and those held on the holidays.

Jews first settled on St. Thomas in 1655, but a Congregation wasn't officially founded until 1796. Only nine Jewish families belonged to the congregation in 1801, but by 1803 it had increased to 22, with arrivals from Holland, England, France, and the islands of St. Eustatius and Curaçao. (Photo: Steve Rockstein)

Dominican Republic

Regardless, if you head to the courtyard in the center of town, you'll find the synagogue and next to it, the Jewish Museum. Built of wood and painted white and turquoise on the outside, the synagogue is the preferred wedding locale for Jewish couples from abroad. (Photo: sosuavillas.com)

Sousa is a typical tropical town with an atypical history as a haven for Jewish refugees. Better known for baseball and palm-lined beaches than as a sanctuary for Jews, Sosua was an isolated community on the north coast when in 1938, hundreds of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Germany, Austria and Poland were offered entry by the ruler of the Dominican Republic at that time. One thousand visas were issued, 650 Jews arrived and were given land to cultivate and animals to rise. The community opened a milk processing factory and other businesses that turned a profit. 

As to how many Jews remain in Sosua today, it depends who you ask. Many have left for New York and more to Miami where thousands of the descendants of Sosua’s original Jews still live. Regardless, if you head to the courtyard in the center of town, you'll find the synagogue and next to it, the Jewish Museum. Built of wood and painted white and turquoise on the outside, the synagogue is the preferred wedding locale for Jewish couples from abroad. There are no organized tours of the museum or of the synagogue but chances are someone will be there if you arrive in the early morning. Sosua is having something of a renaissance, with the opening of the Puerto Plata International Airport four miles from the town. 

Resorts were built to meet increased demand, like the new Gansevoort Dominican Republic; a five minute stroll from the synagogue. As a nod to the increasing number of Jewish guests interested in learning about the town's history, a kosher market will open in the resort next year.

Curacao 
An architectural jewel in the capital city of Willemstad, the synagogue is visually spectacular with a solid mahogany interior, 18th-century copper chandeliers and a sandy floor as a tribute to those who fled religious persecution. (Photo: Curacao Tourist Board)

Home to the oldest Jewish community in the Caribbean, Curacao's first arrivals came in 1651 when a dozen families from Amsterdam landed on the island's shores. They built the Mikve Israel-Emanuel synagogue, which is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas. An architectural jewel in the capital city of Willemstad, the synagogue is visually spectacular with a solid mahogany interior, 18th-century copper chandeliers and a sandy floor as a tribute to those who fled religious persecution. For nearly three centuries, Sephardic Jews — those of Spanish origin — were the only Jews on the island. In the 1920’s, an influx of Ashkenazi Jews or those with Eastern European roots arrived and although the Jewish community has shrunk in recent years, Sabbath services are still conducted every weekend with Rabbi Hazzan Avery Tracht welcoming visitors from the cruise ships that dock in the picturesque harbor and tourists vacationing on the island. 

There is no cost to visit the synagogue, however, appropriate dress is encouraged which means no sleeveless clothing for women and button-down jackets for men. Connected to the synagogue, the Jewish Cultural Historical Museum houses artifacts like 300-year-old Torah scrolls that were brought from Spain and a 200-year-old silver tray from Holland that is still used for the smashing of the wineglass during wedding ceremonies. The adjacent gift shop stocks a good selection of souvenirs and cookbooks.

Nevis
Today, the only visible reminder of this once-thriving community is the Jewish Cemetery on Government Road, close to the Pier in the capital city of Charlestown. (Photo: Jews of the Caribbean)

Over 300 years ago, the little island across the channel from St. Kitts was once home to dozens of hard-working Jews whose story makes up a little-known chapter of Caribbean Jewish history. The 1678 census listed eight Jewish families during a time when the bustling sugarcane industry made Nevis a Caribbean powerhouse. Drawn to the prosperity were Sephardic Jews who had been expelled from Brazil after the Portuguese regained control from the Dutch. By the early 1700’s, dozens of Jewish families had arrived in Nevis, building a synagogue and a school.  A century later, the sugar industry went bust and the Jews moved away in search of new jobs, their stores and homes left behind. 

The synagogue and school were closed.  Details are sketchy but archives indicate the synagogue was built in 1684, was in ruins by 1809 and completely gone in 1846. Today, the only visible reminder of this once-thriving community is the Jewish Cemetery on Government Road, close to the Pier in the capital city of Charlestown. In in the middle of what was the Jewish neighbourhood, grave markers are inscribed in Portuguese, Hebrew and English and date from 1769 with names like Marache, Pinheiro and Cohen. Surrounded by a cement cinderblock wall, the cemetery was re-dedicated in 1971 after a Philadelphia couple organized the cleanup of the gravestones. 

Today the sacred grounds are manicured by the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society. A typical Caribbean clapboard house that was built on the land where the synagogue once stood. Sadly, no artifacts have been recovered from the site: historians believe the congregants took the valuables with them when they left the island.

St. Maarten
The new synagogue will also house a preschool and learning center for the 300 Jewish residents on the island (that number swells to more than 1,000 during the winter). (Photo: jewishsxm.com)

For the first time since 1781, the Jewish community in St. Maarten will have its own synagogue when construction on the Old Rock building in Simpson Bay is complete next year. The new synagogue will also house a preschool and learning center for the 300 Jewish residents on the island (that number swells to more than 1,000 during the winter). A little-told chapter in St. Maarten history, Jews arrived in 1732 and built a synagogue on the site of the Guavaberry Emporium in Phillipsburg, but the site was abandoned in 1781. When the first wave of tourism hit the island in the 1960’s, American Jews discovered St. Maarten as a winter getaway, and it has only grown in popularity. Since 2009, Rabbi Moishe Chanowitz and his wife Sara have been hosting celebrations and conducting prayer services at Chabad St. Maarten above the Zee Best Bakery also in Simpson Bay. Born in Maryland with time spent in Los Angeles, Paris and New York, the Rabbi is now enjoying life on a tropical island, "We got used to the power shutting down every now and then," he smiles, "but when it happens on a Friday afternoon during cooking preparations, you can imagine what's left of our Shabbat dinner, however, we've learned to go with the flow." In addition to the much anticipated opening of the new synagogue, Le Grand Marche in Cole Bay and Philipsburg carries a big selection of kosher food.

Friday, January 31, 2014

The Apostle Who Went Further Than Them All by Ian Johnson - by Ian Johnson (Identity Network)

The Apostle Who Went Further 

Than Them All 

by Ian Johnson 

(Identity Network) 

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Thomas the Apostle is one of my gospel heroes. He thrust his arm into eternity when he was asked to do so by Jesus, "put your hand in my side." I had one of the biggest encounters of my life when I came into contact with Thomas, at the entry point of the gospel in India. 

It was here I experienced apostolic fire and gospel power unlike anything else I had ever seen. This was in 2005, having just returned from 6 weeks in India and seeing firsthand the impact that Thomas had and is still having on that land I wanted to find out who Thomas was from a biblical point of view and discover some of his motivations.  What drove this man so far from Jerusalem? 

It seems fairly clear from historical evidence that Thomas was in India from 58AD until he was martyred in 72AD. The Church in Southern India was founded by Him, and He was buried in modern day Chennai at the Church of St Thomas on Marina beach. 

So what was it that drove Thomas to leave all He knew and travel a vast distance and even die for the cause? He is often labeled doubting Thomas, but the evidence in India would suggest He doesn't deserve this label. 

I had the privilege to go to 5 of the seven churches he established in Kerala, I claimed the mount where he received his instructions to go to the other side of India, I visited his final resting place and I went up a little mount in Chennai to the place where he was murdered for the cause of Christ. It is a very high hill where he used to go and pray, He also lived in a cave nearby. From a strategic point of view there would be no better position to pray from, as you can see the entire region. 

So what was the deal with the Apostle Thomas? I've gleaned as much as I can from the 3 times He is mentioned as speaking in scripture.
 
Was He Thomas the Doubter or Thomas the Doer? 

It seems to me He wasn't a doubter but he was; willing to risk his life. Willing to ask the hard questions and willing to accept the truth 

1.    Thomas was Willing to Risk His Life (John 11:1-16)  
        
The first time that we see the nature of Thomas mentioned is found in the passage about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead -

John 11:1-16 - A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, the one you love is very sick." But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this." 

Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them. Finally after two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go to Judea again." But his disciples objected. "Teacher," they said, "only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?" 

Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light." Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up." 

The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, that means he is getting better!" They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night's rest, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. Then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in me. Come, let's go see him." Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too - and die with Jesus." 

The disciples have a good point here. They tell Jesus that isn't such a great idea going to Jerusalem, You know there are people out there who are trying to kill you. Jesus insists that they still go. 

Verses 11 and 12 are a bit humorous if you ask me.  Jesus trying to be kind says that Lazarus is sleeping and the disciples respond with don't wake him up. Then Jesus has to say, ok he is not sleeping he is dead.  Verse 16 is what we're going to key in on. 

Thomas said, "Let's go too - and die with Jesus."  Thomas, the one who we always refer to as doubting Thomas, makes the bold statement "I am willing to follow with you, Jesus, even if it means death." Thomas was willing to put it all on the line. In his mind there was a strong chance that he would be killed if he went to Judea. 

Thomas was willing to risk death to follow Jesus.  Do you have the same boldness to follow Jesus? 

In India I was challenged with similar feelings - my ministry companion did not want to go into an area controlled by the communist Laxelights who had been kidnapping and killing people for their cause. Yes it was dangerous.  Yes we could have been caught and killed. But I was confronted with this one thing...Will I obey Christ even if it means death or will I play it safe? We went in and we were protected.  

The fruit was an amazing outpouring of power and grace and many where saved, delivered, healed and set free. Thomas confronts us with this question - Are we willing to obey even unto death? He did...and we should to. 

2.    Thomas was willing to ask the questions that we all were wondering about, but too afraid to ask. 

John 14:1-6 "Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 

And you know where I am going and how to get there." "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We haven't any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." 

Jesus just gets done giving the disciples some comfort. Let us be honest, if this was the first time you heard about all this you would be confused too. I can see the disciples sitting around and shaking their heads and pretending they understand what Jesus was talking about.  I get that look from time and time when I am preaching, I say I don't think you understand what I am saying but people smile and nod anyways. 

Thomas raises his hand and says Lord I don't get it. I am confused. Help me understand, what a bold question. 

Notice Jesus did not rebuke Thomas, Jesus did not make fun of him for his honest question Jesus used a different way and expanded on some things to answer the questions that Thomas and the rest of the disciples had in their mind. I am sure they were saying thank you Thomas for asking that question 

What can We Learn from this? 

You know one of the biggest misconceptions that we have been taught is, that questions are wrong. Honest questions are not sin. To want a better understanding of a situation is not a sin. There are some things that we do not understand at first. So be willing to ask the questions, be willing to examine things, figure out what exactly is going on.

What are you trying to tell me Lord? 

When I was in Goa India, I felt I was somehow missing the mark as far as reaching people for Jesus. I had witnessed to people on a one on one basis but had been unable to break through, I said "Lord I don't understand who you sent me here to speak to."  

He just said, "Take the bus to Bangalore." When it was time to leave we booked a bus trip to end all bus trips...13 hours on a bus with no suspension, The answer to whom we had been sent to became clear. Both my companion and myself where given seats next to people whom God had hand-picked for us to speak to. 

The result was fruit! Imagine if I had not questioned the Lord about the wisdom of the trip, and him saying there is someone you must speak to. I could have taken matters into my own hands it would have been easy to cancel the bus and take the train or even fly, but the Lord wanted me on that bus.

Thomas was willing to ask the hard questions of Jesus and we need to be able to do the same. 

3.    Thomas was willing to accept the truth (John 20:24-29). 

I am sure that you all remember the famous story of doubting Thomas, that we read in the beginning of this passage. 

Thomas gets a bad rap here; we have to understand what had been leading up to this point. 
First thing that the disciples know is; Mary came and said "Jesus appeared to her." None of the disciples believed her; if they had they would have not been in the room gathered together hiding in fear. 

Now when they were together and Jesus appeared to them, Thomas was not there.  Where was Thomas? The Bible does not say. Thomas did not want to blindly accept what his fellow disciples said. He wanted to make sure that everything was correct. So the Lord showed up again and showed him 

Thomas makes one of the most overlooked Messianic statements in the Bible - "My Lord and my God." 

This statement is amazing. For a Jew to make that statement is incredible. To call a human associate "My Lord and My God" could be considered blasphemy and punishable by death, He saw something in the side of Jesus that turned him around. 

Thomas was Willing - What can We Gain from this Story? 

First of all understand that doubt is not sin It is not sin to doubt. If it were Jesus would have said why you are sinning against me, he did not say that. We all wrestle with doubt from time to time. 

Notice something here, Thomas never doubted Jesus, he doubted his fellow disciples, Once Jesus showed him, Thomas believed, then declared his belief, in the most powerful messianic statement in the NT. 

Unbelief and doubt are not the same Unbelief is deliberate denial, disobedience, rebellion, resistance, and is always condemned. Doubt is the sincere question, but unbelief is an unwillingness to hear the answer. 

To doubt the resurrection would not be that uncommon, dead people had rarely got up and become alive again. Thomas had just lost his friend Jesus (so he thought) with dashed hope; it is hard to make faith fit in with the painful realities of life; this occurs when: a loved one dies, our children are in trouble, we lose our job - just life really.  What is funny is we often doubt that miracles can happen at times like this, but our desire for them is even stronger. 

The writer of the Psalms sometimes expresses much anger and sings about doubts and disappointments. However, they always seem to realize in the end that God is God, God cares for them, and God listens to them. 

In Kakanada I was faced with a woman who was totally insane. She had been a university graduate who had been indwelt by demonic forces to the point where she was going about saying she was an angel of light and talking with the voice of a man, trying to kill them with a machete.  I have to admit when I was confronted with her issues, I doubted for a moment that there was hope! 

But then the Lord came through. As I prayed the demons threw the woman to the ground. I commanded them in the name of Jesus to come out, and one by one they came out, the last going with terrible scream. At which point the woman returned to her right mind. She was set free and restored to her family. I saw her again the next day and the transformation was amazing. 

Imagine if I had of succumbed to doubt. But I was able to look to Jesus for the answers just as Thomas did. This is all Jesus wants from us, to look to Him. 

I hope I have made a good case to stop calling Thomas, "Doubting Thomas."  Thomas was not so much doubting Thomas as he was "willing Thomas." 

He was willing to risk his life and follow Jesus.  In the end He gave his life for Jesus, further away from Jerusalem than any of the others. 

He was willing to ask some really hard questions. Those questions caused him to trust so much He went to the other side of the world for Jesus. 

He was willing to accept the truth. In the end He was so committed to the truth that he planted many churches in Kerala & Tamil Nadu in India, and established an apostolic stronghold there still operating today. 

So be like Thomas.  Ask the hard questions of Jesus.  Be willing to follow Jesus even unto death. Be willing to accept the truth when confronted with it.  Thomas is my apostolic hero, a giant among the Sons of Christ. 

Ian Johnson

 
 
 
 
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