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UCI
United Congregation of Isrealites
in Kingston Jamaica
All Rights Reserved.
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Books
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The
Portuguese Jews of Jamaica
by Mordechai Arbell
This book takes us from the Portuguese
Jews who settled Jamaica during the time of the Spanish
occupation to early in the 20th century. It is richly
developed with black and white illustrations.The chapters
include the Jews of Port Royal, Jewish settlements of
Jamaica, Jewish rights and disablitities as well as Jewish
economic activities. The last chapter under the heading
Cultural life deals briefly with the lives of noteworthy
Jews. There is a short list as an illustration of Jews
in Jamaica and Barbados in the late 1600's. A list of
cemetaries taken from other sources is listed in the appendix.
Though it does not add a great deal to the other Jewish
sources listed on this site, it is interesting for its
illustrations of the synagogues of Kingston and its bibliography.
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The
Island of One People
by Marilyn Delevante and Anthony
Alberga
The Island of One People:
An Account of the History of the Jews of Jamaica redresses
this unawareness in an engaging exploration of the Jewish-Jamaican
community and its contribution to the development of Jamaica.
From the early merchants of Kingston to the development
and modernization of the Kingston Harbour, the construction
of numerous Housing Developments, and landmark buildings
such as the Ward Theatre; from the development of companies
such as the Lascelles deMercado conglomerate with interests
in sugar, rum, insurance, motor car agencies and airport
and shipping services, to the establishment of the renowned
Gleaner newspaper, arguably the oldest newspaper in the
western hemisphere; from representing Jamaica internationally
to the now iconic work of Belisario; the contribution of
the Jewish community in nation building in Jamaica is unquestionable.
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The
Jewish Nation of the Caribbean
by Mordechai Arbell
A fascinating exploration of the Spanish-Portuguese
Jewish Settlements in the Caribbean and the Guianas. Reviews
the little-known histories of fourteen of the Jewish communities
of the Caribbean that were once the lifeblood of the region
but have long since diminished or even vanished. Includes
Surinam, the "Jewish Savannah" where a vibrant
Jewish community was granted full and equal rights two hundred
years before others in the region. St. Eustatius, economically
successful until plundered by the British occupation in
1781. Curacao, named the "Mother of Jewish Communities
in the New World," where a prosperous Jewish community
numbered nearly half of Curacao's non-slave population and
was the center of Jewish life in the region. An ideal resource
for those traveling to the region or those with an interest
in Jewish history
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The
Book of Mechtilde
by Anna Ruth Henriques
"In the land of Jah, there lived a good woman named
Mechtilde." So begins Anna Ruth Henriques's extraordinary
tribute to her mother, Sheila Mechtilde Henriques, who was
crowned Miss Jamaica in 1959 and became a beloved symbol
of hope and optimism to her fellow Jamaicans in the years
leading to the former colony's independence. Mechtilde's
untimely death after a long struggle with cancer was cause
for sorrow throughout Jamaica. This tribute is an illuminated
manuscript inspired by the book of Job, and includes heartbreakingly
beautiful poetry and prose alongside intricately detailed
paintings. The Book of Mechtilde feels ancient, not only
in its format (illuminated manuscripts are associated with
medieval texts), but also in the intensity of these poetic
lamentations, which are often tied to nature. Here, Henriques
compares her loss to unseasonable weather: "No! Not
yet / no rain / not the right time of year / not ready /
prepared / to feel / what you are ready / to show me."
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