The Mikveh Israel Synagogue in Willemstad and the Jewish Life of Curaçao

The Mikveh Israel synagogue of Curaçao, a Dutch-controlled island in the Caribbean sea, was built on a prominent street near the main merchant area of the central city of Willemstad. The Snoa, as the building is lovingly referred to in the local Papiamento language, was not hidden behind a wall or down a dark alley. Instead, it was a prominent feature of everyday life on the island and appears here as number 19 on the map’s key. This reflects the high degree of integration of the Spanish-Portuguese Jews on the island.