The following was written in Ian Randle's Spring / Summer Catalogue regarding a recent publication:
The Island of One People---An Account of the History of the Jews of Jamaica, by Marilyn Delevante & Tony Alberga:
"
The expulsion of Jews from Spain under penalty of death in 1492 and the journeys
of 'discovery' of Christopher Columbus triggered the settlement of Jews in
the 'New World' .
This recently published book recounts the considerable political, ecconomic,
and cultural strides
of the Jewish population from the period of Spanish occupation to the acheivements
of the Jewish Community in 2004. The book traces the Island's Jewish population
from their origins in Iberia, Spain in the Middle Ages, to their settlement
in Jamaica in the 15th Century. It also explores many notable Jewish families
and their rise to occupy positions in the upper echelons of Jamaican Society."
ISBN # 976-637-212-8 Hardback. Ths book is available from the web site www.jewsofjamaica.com
On the recommendation of Dorothy Kew,a link is being added to Patricia Jackson's subscription web site, Jamaican Family Search, www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com. Patricia's site has a great deal of information about Jewish records, including transcriptions of the Jewish cemetery at Falmouth which she did herself a year ago while in Jamaica, plus records of both the Sephardic and Ashkenazi congregations, birth and death records of the Amalgamated congregations, and a few records from the Montego Bay synagogue. It's worth the subscription which is quite reasonable.
Dr. John DeMercado writes that he is in the final stages of editing a CD with all 6 volumes of Ansell Hart's writings (about 150 of the Monthly Issues), with an introduction by Richard Hart. Only one monthly issue is sill missing - does someone out there have it by any chance? John will mail a copy of the CD to the first 500 people who make a donation of US$5 (or more) to their local animal shelter/SPCA. Please make your donation and contact John through the DeMercado web site.
The Jamaican Jewish Genealogy section has been revised. Please let me know if you find where ancestors have been inadvertently excluded or those living included.
We share with our friends in Jamaica a deep sorrow at the passing of Ernest DeSouza yesterday. For fifty years Ernest served the Jewish community as teacher, secretary, reader, and spiritual leader. As we contemplate life and the future of the community, we have strong and loving memories of Ernest to encourage and guide us. At this time, let us renew our commitment to Judaism, study of Torah, and deeds of loving-kindness.
Two important resources for Jamaican (including Jewish) genealogy are now available, with details for ordering available from the following links:
At long last I have been able to translate a number of music files which I had transcribed some ten years ago into sound files. These files represent some of the Spanish and Portuguese liturgical music tradition, including Torah and Haftarah trope. Many pieces are in 4-part harmony which is represented here by the piano to keep the file size small. In time I will update this area to correct errors, and add new music.
Spanish and Portuguese Liturgy pages now have haftarah trope accents and example recordings. While these sound files are large at 500KB to 1,400KB, if you are interested in studying the haftarah trope, they are a useful starting point and well worth the download time.
Under the leadership of Ainsley Henriques, the community in Jamaica has recognized the importance of researching and preserving Jewish history, and restoring Jewish historical sites. This web site has accordingly been restructured to inform on and support these activities in Jamaica, British West Indies.
The Neveh Shalom Institute has been founded to restore the synagogue of the same name, and its cemetery, in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
The Jamaican Jewish Families section has been renamed to support the Jamaican chapter of the Jewish Genealogical Society.
To reach these and other subject areas, using the menu in the left hand column.