Once Jews, Stories of the Caribbean Sephardim

• Título	Once Jews, Stories of the Caribbean Sephardim
  Título Abreviado	Once Jews, Stories of the Caribbean Sephardim
  Autor	Josette Capriles Goldish
  Editor	Marcus Wiener Publishers
  Número Referencia	978-1-55876-494-1
  ID de Fuente	S1
  Texto	The phrase “I am Catholic, but I am Jewish” may seem contradictory to some, but in the Caribbean islands and the countries of the Caribbean periphery, there are hundreds if not thousands of individuals who identify themselves in this manner and can trace their ancestry back to the early Sephardim of the Dutch islands of Curaçao. The nineteenth century was a time of great political and economic upheaval in the Caribbean, precipitating waves of migration away from stagnant economies, revolutions, and religious persecution. “The Sephardic Jews of Curaçao” were active participants in this changing environment. They left the recessionary economy of the Dutch island in search of better opportunities in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Coro, Venezuela; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Barranquilla, Colombia; and many other Caribbean ports. Here, the Lopez Penhas, De Marchenas, Delvalles, Capriles, Sassos, Seniors, Curiels, and Alvares Correas involved themselves in all aspects of their new abodes. They were retailers, traders, politicians, poets, industrial entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, each contributing in their own way to the economic and cultural growth of the countries that became their home. Over time, they and their descendants fully assimilated into their host communities. Yet, throughout the centuries, the generations that came after them continued to remember their Sephardic, Curaçaoan heritage. This book tells their stories.