NIDHE ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE & MUSEUM

More than just the synagogue, the Synagogue Historic District is a complex of buildings. In addition to the place of worship and its cemetery, it includes a museum, the former fire station, the craftsmen's workshop and the Emancipation Monument.

The Nidhe Israel synagogue is quite simply the oldest synagogue in the Caribbean. The first Jews arrived in Barbados very early on, fleeing the Portuguese inquisition in Brazil. Built in 1664, it was rebuilt after the hurricane of 1831. Apart from a three-year interruption between 1929 and 1932, a Jewish community has always lived in Barbados. But when the last two Jews left the island in 1929, the synagogue was sold, desecrated and its interior altered by successive owners. It was even condemned to destruction by the state, which seized the building in 1983. Thanks to the mobilization of the Jewish community, which was reconstituted in the 1930s, the synagogue escaped its fate and was entrusted to the National Trust. Renovations began in 1986, and the synagogue was returned to worship on completion. It is particularly intimate, reflecting the family feel of a synagogue that has served, and continues to serve, as a meeting place and a place for mutual support. Its stained glass window depicting the Star of David in the center of a flower is the symbol of the historic district.

Excavations in 2008 uncovered a mikveh, a pool used for ritual bathing. Be careful when entering, as green monkeys often seek a little coolness here.

The cemetery between the synagogue and the museum is well worth a visit.

Opened in 2008, the museum traces in great detail the history of Judaism and the Jewish community, and its contribution to Barbados' destiny. A word of advice: visit the museum before the synagogue to better understand what you'll see.

The Artisans' Workshop is a commercial building dating from 1869. Built on part of the Jewish cemetery, renovation work uncovered 17 graves. The site was known as the cobblers' workshop, and among the 4 craftsmen who took up residence there, there was indeed a cobbler.

The Emancipation Monument stands on the site of an old house, Codd's House, where the end of the apprenticeship period following the end of slavery was signed, marking the true beginning of emancipation. The commemorative rotunda is set in the middle of a small park.