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Jews in the Jungle:
The Community of Suriname
Sunday, October 5
USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET
UK 8:00 pm / France 9:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm
The talk will last approximately 90 minutes
About this talk
Jacob Steinberg tells the surprising and fascinating story of the oldest existing Jewish community in all of the Americas.
This story begins with the establishment of the Jewish community in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, by Portuguese and Spanish Jews in the late 16th century. Thousands of them moved to Dutch Brazil (Recife) in search of better opportunities, and three groups continued on to what is now Suriname, clearing the jungle and starting sugar plantations.
The community flourished for more than 100 years in the Jewish Savannah, where they achieved complete autonomy. With the collapse of the sugar-based economy, the community moved to the new capital city, Paramaribo. Jacob will describe the role of the community in saving Jews during World War II, as well as the life of this small and isolated Jewish community in Suriname today.
About Jacob
After graduating from university in Israel, Jacob Steinberg traveled around the world for five years. Later on, he spent three decades as a project finance executive, financing infrastructure projects in Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, where he encountered small and isolated Jewish communities. He became involved with Kulanu Canada, a non-profit organization that supports such communities.
Jacob is personally involved in supporting the Suriname Jewish community, and in 2016 he raised funds to build a memorial monument for the 104 Surinamese Jews who died in the Holocaust.
Jacob is an avid sportsman who played for 14 years in the Ontario Australian Rules Football League. He loves traveling and has a strong interest in Jewish history.
RECORDING INFORMATION
This talk will be recorded and shared with registrants the day after.
It will be available for 3 days, and 7 days for members.
Click here to register
You will be asked to select one of these options:
General admission - $18
Supported admission - $9
Sponsor this talk - $36
With your contribution, you will also be donating to the Suriname Jewish Community.
