Jewish community in DR

Natash · Jul 29, 2005

I am new so I might be posting to the wrong forum. Please dont get angry...

I am curious to find out about the Jewish community in the DR. I know from my recent (and first) visit that after WWII, a sizable group escaped to the island from Europe. But that is all I know...
Can anyone contribute any information on the history of these people and what happened/is happening to the community?
Any information will be appreciated...Feel free to post here or to PM me.

AnnaC · Jul 30, 2005

You'll find it here

History of Sosua and The DR's Haven for Jewish refugees

aegap · Jul 30, 2005

Here are several great pictures, including the restored synagogue:

http://www.luxner.com/cgi-bin/view_photo.cgi?photoId=6641

http://www.luxner.com/cgi-bin/view_photo.cgi?photoId=6639

http://www.luxner.com/cgi-bin/view_photo.cgi?photoId=6642

aegap · Jul 30, 2005

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HOWMAR · Jul 30, 2005

Try this thread- History of Jews in DR by the Rabbi in Santo Domingo among other posts.
http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39803&goto=newpost

Also, the Rabbi comes to Sosua to conduct a service one Friday each month. It is interesting to attend an Ashkenazi service conducted in Hebrew and Spanish.

Gabriela · Jul 30, 2005

Jews in Sosua

Most of the Jewish settlers escaped the Dominican Republic for more urban pastures in the United States. Those who remained made a fortune from the land in the Puerto Plata/Sosua area. Few of the remaining settlers consider themselves Jewish. They are far too rich. If you believe the stereotype of all Jews being good businessmen, you'll have a hard time understanding this. Only in the DR do Jews distance themselves from the Jewish colony in order to preserve their wealth. This is because the DR is extremely antisemitic--it is afterall a Catholic country. It is also an extremely racist country (see today's DR1 news).

drloca · Jul 30, 2005

Maybe I am misunderstanding you...but are you saying "Catholics" are anti-semitic? I am not Catholic but I think this is a huge generalisation..there are many Catholic countries in the world...that would be saying they are all anti-semitic! Racism and religious intolerance is unfortunately widespread in these times, but you speak like they are exclusively prevalent in DR. Please clarify and I am curious to know your sources.

Natash · Jul 31, 2005

Thanks and more

A BIG thanks to all those who posted, I know far more than I did yesterday and have looked at all the links/photos/previous threads that you mentioned...Very interesting stuff indeed.

Gabriela brought up a point that I intended to bring up in a separate post but I guess her comments are a good sageway to it:
Is there antisemitism in the Dominican Republic?? How widespread is it? How is it expressed?? I know this is a sensitive and not PC topic but I am hoping that some of you who live there and others who are Dominican by descent will share your honest observations...

(As an aside to this, I had an interesting encounter on my visit. A Dominican lady (one of the housekeepers at the resort) had a necklace with both a cross and a star of david on it. Her limited english and my non-existant spanish stood in the way of a good conversation but I would think that if antisemitism was very rampant, a local would hesitate to wear a Jewish religious symbol... What are your thoughts?)

RHM · Jul 31, 2005

The average Dominican has no idea what Judaism is. Many of them are ignorant of their "own" religion too. The official religion of the country is Roman Catholicism but more people die during Christmas and Easter than any other weeks during the year. (drunk driving, drunk accidents, fights, shootings, drownings etc). Sad but true. I think people would be more curious than descriminatory. Just my opinion, I am not an expert on the subject.

Scandall

drloca · Jul 31, 2005

This sounds like a reasonable explanation to me. Most of my friends in DR are either religious (Christian and Catholic) or completely non-observant, so i think the above is very fitting since most people there are extremely open-minded.

Escott · Jul 31, 2005

I never found Dominicans to have a problem with Jews and I think it is quite the opposite.

I have had Dominicans come out and say that they ARE Jewish and wear that as a medal which I never understood. I also have to say that my experiences with this is limited to the North Coast.

Escott

rellosk · Jul 31, 2005

Natash said:
(As an aside to this, I had an interesting encounter on my visit. A Dominican lady (one of the housekeepers at the resort) had a necklace with both a cross and a star of david on it. Her limited english and my non-existant spanish stood in the way of a good conversation but I would think that if antisemitism was very rampant, a local would hesitate to wear a Jewish religious symbol... What are your thoughts?)

I had a similar experience and the person wearing the Star of David had no idea that it was a symbol of Judaism.

Chris · Jul 31, 2005

Escott said:
I never found Dominicans to have a problem with Jews and I think it is quite the opposite.

I would agree. One of the sweetest sights I ever saw in Sosua, was a little boy, around 8 or 9, as Dominican as they come, wearing his yarmulka as if he was born with it, and speaking some variety of yiddish to obviously family members who must have been visiting.. I regained a little faith in mankind...

drloca · Jul 31, 2005

OK, this restores my faith a bit!

Tamborista · Jul 31, 2005

All we need is a good bagel n lox with a schmear in Sosua and we are good to go.

drloca · Jul 31, 2005

ha ha!!!

HOWMAR · Aug 1, 2005

Tamborista said:
All we need is a good bagel n lox with a schmear in Sosua and we are good to go.

I agree. I ordered a bagel and lox in one of the restaurants in Play Dorada Plaza. I was expecting at best a frozen bagel. What I got was lox on toasted French bread. When I asked what happened to the bagel? They told me this is a "Dominican Bagel". I give up.

HOWMAR · Aug 1, 2005

Gabriela said:
Most of the Jewish settlers escaped the Dominican Republic for more urban pastures in the United States. Those who remained made a fortune from the land in the Puerto Plata/Sosua area. Few of the remaining settlers consider themselves Jewish. They are far too rich. If you believe the stereotype of all Jews being good businessmen, you'll have a hard time understanding this. Only in the DR do Jews distance themselves from the Jewish colony in order to preserve their wealth. This is because the DR is extremely antisemitic--it is afterall a Catholic country. It is also an extremely racist country (see today's DR1 news).

I have to disagree with many of your statements.
I have seen no evidence of antisemitism by Dominicans. Only by expats. (They may be in fact be self-hating Jews).

Granted, few of the original Jewish settlers have remained Jewish. I believe this was due to assimilation into the community, rather than due to antisemitism. How many of American Jews fail to identify themselves as Jewish. This is certainly due to assimilation rather than antisemitism.

Your fact about Jews distancing themselves from the Jewish community to preserve their wealth is incorrect. In fact, one of the most prosperous and wealthy families in Sosua is Jewish and very active in the Sosua synagogue and museum.

Remember, for whatever the motivation, the DR was the only country in the world which stepped up and allowed Jews fleeing Hitler to immigrate.

drloca · Aug 1, 2005

HOWMAR said:
I have to disagree with many of your statements.
I have seen no evidence of antisemitism by Dominicans. Only by expats. (They may be in fact be self-hating Jews).

Granted, few of the original Jewish settlers have remained Jewish. I believe this was due to assimilation into the community, rather than due to antisemitism. How many of American Jews fail to identify themselves as Jewish. This is certainly due to assimilation rather than antisemitism.

Your fact about Jews distancing themselves from the Jewish community to preserve their wealth is incorrect. In fact, one of the most prosperous and wealthy families in Sosua is Jewish and very active in the Sosua synagogue and museum.

Remember, for whatever the motivation, the DR was the only country in the world which stepped up and allowed Jews fleeing Hitler to immigrate.

I agree!

Wineclubs · Aug 1, 2005

Judaism

Tamborista said:
All we need is a good bagel n lox with a schmear in Sosua and we are good to go.

The bagel I can make but the lox is a bit pricey. Do you have the Lox?
Where can I buy genuine Viennas. a childhood Saturday Supper memory.

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