New Shluchim Invigorate In Martinique
by Leibel Kahan – Lubavitch.com
Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean with a rich and often overlooked Jewish history, is looking forward to a new boost in Jewish life.
Rabbi Reuven and Chaya Naparstek were recently recruited by the community to serve the local Jewish community in Martinique.
The Chabad reps introduced daily prayer and Shabbat services, and weekly Torah classes for men, women, and teens. They’ve also pioneered a program for Jewish children. “It’s a sight to see,” says Avy Twizer, a resident of the island. “Every day, a bus arrives at the local school during lunch break and picks up the Jewish children, bringing them to the synagogue — where they pray, study, and eat kosher food.” Once a week on Wednesdays, the “Hebrew School” is extended for an extra hour, giving the children more time to learn and grow in their Judaism.
Jewish life in Martinique has waxed and waned over the centuries. The first Jewish settlers came from Brazil along with the colonization of the Caribbean island in the early 17th century, but they were persecuted by trade bans and eventually expelled by royal French decree in 1685. In the early 18th century many Jews returned, but the community once again dwindled after the volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902. During World War II, Martinique fell under the rule of the antisemitic Vichy government, which forcefully expelled many Jews from the island to Europe and North Africa.
The 1970s saw a resurgence of Jewish life in Martinique. Sephardic French Jews from Algeria, who had escaped the Algerian War, sought a familiar Mediterranean-like environment to call home. They migrated to Martinique where they created a community that is thriving to this day, consisting of about two hundred families.
They inaugurated a synagogue in the town of Schoelcher. They called their congregation “Kenaf Ha’aretz,” or, “Corner of the World,” a reference to the concept of the ingathering of the Jewish people from all four corners of the world — even this tiny island in the remote West Indies.
This Chanukah saw the first-ever car menorah parade in Martinique’s history, with twenty cars proclaiming the Chanukah miracle throughout the island. Another beautiful initiative recently introduced is “Avot Ubanim” — where fathers and sons come together every few weeks on Saturday night to study Torah.
Looking ahead, Rabbi Naparstek has ambitious plans for the future, not just for the existing community, but for the thousands of visitors to the island who seek a connection to Jewish life. He is working to make accessibility to kosher food easier for locals and visitors.
“We are also looking to build an extensive library of French Torah literature in the synagogue — right now there are practically no resources here for anyone who is looking to further their Jewish knowledge on their own,” he says. “There are many Jewish teenagers in Martinique, so a permanent ‘CTeen Lounge’ — a place where teens can relax and have enjoyable Jewish experiences — is also in the plans for the future.”
“It’s truly incredible what the Naparsteks have accomplished in the short time since they arrived,” says Kevin Aim, a community member. “From the weekly Torah classes to the new programs for children, they have brought a new energy to Jewish life here.”
