Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/542

494 ;

America

Tin-:

JLWISII ENCYCLOPEDIA

that, in a single trial by the Inquisiof a boy in 1642 the names of no less than eighty-six .Tmlaizersare mentioned. It is generally assumed that one of the jirincipal motives of the Inquisition was the confiscation of estates; and it is unquestionably true that a considerable proportion of the Jews tried in Mexico were mine-owners Jsevertheless, there must have been or merchants. many Mexican Jews in the humbler walks of life. Between ICOO and 1650 the following occupations of Jews and Jewesses are recorded: butcher, gilder, baker, sugar-hawker, peanut-vender, silversmith, juggler, nurserymaid, ami seamstress. In recent times Jews have again immigrated to Mexico; and for a short time a Jewish journal was published in the cajiital city. From 1.590 until lie revolt of Mexico from Spanish rule the Philippine Islands were governed through the viceroy and audiencia of Mexico; and prior to 1601 at least four Jews had gone from Jlexico to the city of Manila. Other South American States Peru was captured by the t^paiiish in lot!y-84; and many Spanish Jews took refuge in Lima. Philip II. took rigorous measures against them, and early introduced the Inquisition. From imperfect records it appears that In 1639 twelve a Jew was burnt there in 1.5^1. Portuguese merchants, supposed to be Jews, were burnt, one of them being described as "the Judaizing millionaire Manuel Bautista Perez." Six thoisand Portuguese, of whom it may be assumed many were Jews, purchased the right of residence upon the payment of 200.000 ducats. It appears to be the opinion of writers upon the Inquisition that in Lima the Holy Oflice was particularly rapacious, and that all rich Portuguese were charged with being Judaizers. Yet it is extremely likely that this cynical view is incorrect, and that the larger number of Portuguese in Peru in early Peru. days were actually Maranos. few details of the history of the Jews in Peru arc known, through a memoir composed from original manuscript sources by B. Vicuna MacKenna. of a certain Francisco Moyen, who suffered most grievously from the Inquisition in the eighteenth century. In very recent times Jews to the number of about 500 have resettled in Peru. Jews are also to be foimd in very small numbers in Venezuela, Costa Rica, and other South American states. To the Argentine Republic, however, there has been a svsteiuatic immigration, due directly to the efforts of feiron de Hirsch. It is estimated that there are now settled in that country about 6.755 Jews (see AciRicuLTrR.^L Colosies ix the Aisges-

from the fact

tion

—

—

tliat

I



A

TINK RKI'fHI.IC).

Surinam



As

early as 1644 the

Jews commenced

go in small numbers to Paramaribo. In 1662 Lord Willoughby secured from Charles II. permission to colonize Surinam; and two years later the Jewish colony of Cayenne, which had been disbanded, removed to Surinam. In February, 1667, Surinam, then an English colto

ony, surrendered to a Dutch fleet. The articles of surrender provided that English subjects disposed to leave the colony shoidd be at liberty to do so. Six months later Surinam was retaken by the English fleet and became again an English colony but l)y the treaty of Breda "(Jidy 16, 1667) it was restored to the Dutch. The circumstance became important because the British governiuent made strong representations to Holland on behalf of Jewish residents of Surinam who, under this clause of the treaty, desired to leave for Jamaica, but to whom the Dutch authorities at Surinam refused permission to depart,

494

on account of their wealth and standing.

In spito of the "alien" status of Jews domiciled in English the Council of Great Britain found it expedient to recognize Jewsas British subjects at this cai ly dale. The Dutch continued to the Jews the privileges which had been iiecorded Jews Regarded them l)V the English. A .synagogue
 * >os.sessions from the point of view of British law,

was

at Savanna, which was "Jews' Town," and is said to have been inhabited exclusively by Another and a larger synagogue was erected

as British Subjects,

built

called

Jews. at Paramaribo.

Many of

them

of the colonists— probably the major part English tlcet luidcr Captain

— left with the

Willoughby, and settled in Jamaica and BarbaIn 1669 the Dutch government gave the Jews of Surinam a formal promise that they would be allowed the free exercise of their religion. They were largely engaged in agriculture, and were the cultivators of the sugar-cane in Surinam. first When, in 16S9, a French fleet ma<le a sudden attack upon Surinam it was met with brave resistance by the Jews, under Samuel Xassy and on a second attack in 1712, the Jews, under Captain Isaac Pinto, made a stubborn fight. They were also foremost in the suppression of the negro revolts from 1690 to The first rabbi in Surinam was Isaac Neto: 1772. the date of his immigration to the colony must have been about 1674. In H)S5 the Congregation Berakah we-Shalom of Savanna built a splendid synagogue. This was probably rendered possible by the considerable additions to the colony from Brazil after therec<)n(|ucst of the country by the Portuguese. In 1S9I) the Jews in Surinam luimbered about 1,560. having two .synagogues, one following the Spanish and the other the dos.



German

rite.

A colony w-as established here probably as early as 16.50; and this was augmented by a of 1.52 which set sail for Cayeiuie in August, party 1660. Among them was the Spanish-Jewish poet, historian, and litterateur Miguel (or Daniel) de Barrios. In 1664 the colony at Cayenne was dis,solved the inhabitants moving to Surinam (as stated above), to Jamaica, and to Barbados. Curaf ao In 16,50 twelve Jewish families were brought to Curasao. In 1652 two leagues of land along the coast for fifty families, and four leagues for one hundred families, were granted by the Dutch West India ComCayenne





pany to Joseph Xunezde Fonseca (alias David Xassi) and others, to found a colony of Jews in that island. As early as 16.54, direct relations between these settlers and the inhabitants of New Xetherlands were established. In that year immigrants of wealth and standing arrived in considerable numbers from Brazil.

The

first

burial-ground was established in

16.56;

and by 1692 the Congregation Jlikveh Israel had completed its synagogue. A second congregation, Xeveh Shalom, was established in 1740. and in 1S05 a Reform congregation, under the name " Eiuanuel." In 1690 a party of about ninety set sjiil for North .America, and established themselves in Rhode Island (NeV|icirt).

West Indies



In 1502 King Ferdinand prohib-

ited the settlement in the West Indies of any more Jews; and in 1.506 he ordered the bishops to proceed against such as might be already settled there.

As noted above, Luis de Torres, who accompanied Columbus on his first voyage, settled and died in Cuba. It is asserted that as early as 1493 young Jewish children were, after baptism, sent to the island of St. Thomas. In 1642 mention is made of