Beth Israel Synagogue in Oranjestad, Aruba

Today I visited Beth Israel Synagogue in Oranjestad, Aruba. I learned that about 85 Jews live in aruba, most residing in Oranjestad. The community consists of Jewish families that immigrated to Aruba in the 1920's from Poland, Holland, Surinam, and other Eastern Europe countries. In 1942, the Jewish Community of Oranjestad created a Jewish country Club on Palm Beach, which became a place for life-cycle events, like weddings and b'nai mitzvahs. In December of 1956, the Dutch Kingdom officially recognized the Jewish community of Aruba, but many young Jews left for the United States by the 1960's. The Jewish Country Club was slowly abandoned. On November 4, 1962, the Beth Israel Synagogue was consecrated in Oranjestad. Because the Jewish community is so small, there is a joint congregation blending Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions. Coming from a Reform background, it was very cool to take part in a service so different from what I'm used to. I was also interested to learn that the only physical evidence of Jewish presence in Aruba in past centuries is due to a small cemetery in town. The names on the tombstones in this cemetery are almost erased, but still there is so much we can learn from them. If you're ever in Aruba, take the time to stop by this small but powerful synagogue.