Curaçao Jewish Records

History
In the late 1400's, Jews fled Spain and Portugal to avoid the Inquisition. Most went to places such as Amsterdam. Some of those who went to Amsterdam didn't stay long. They took passage on ships heading to Curacao, a Dutch-owned, Caribbean island.

Upon arrival in Curacao, they established their congregation in 1651. In 1732, they built Mikve Israel-Emanuel, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the western hemisphere. This Sephardic synagogue became their home, and over the years would influence so many American Jewish congregation.Early jewish communities in the United States, including Newport (Rhode Island), Charleston (South Carolina) and New Orleans, all had families whose roots where in Curacao.

Collections
Many Jewish families with roots in Curacao have now had their records indexed and added to the Knowles Collection. This collection links the records into families and is fully searchable, free of charge.