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 Curaçao, a Dutch-owned, Caribbean island.

Upon arrival in Curaçao, 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 many American Jewish congregations. Early Jewish communities in the United States, including Newport (Rhode Island), Charleston (South Carolina) and New Orleans (Louisiana), all had families whose roots were in Curaçao.

Collections
Many Jewish families with roots in Curaçao 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.