Kehillat Barbados is an egalitarian community that is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) in North America as well as the Commonwealth Jewish Council of the UK. During the winter season (Hanukkah to Pesach) we come together for Kabbalat Shabbat services every Friday night at the historic Nidhe Israel synagogue in downtown Bridgetown (this is the oldest synagogue structure in the Western hemisphere; during the day Nidhe Israel is a museum that is operated by the Barbados National Trust and is well worth a visit.) During the summer season, from Pesach to Hanukkah, the community holds its weekly Kabbalat Shabbat service and gatherings at the residential Sha’are Tzedek synagogue on Rockley New Road in Christ Church.
Please follow the menu options above for more information about our current community, our rich history dating back to 1628, and opportunities to join us in our communal celebrations throughout the year. Or, simply email us with your queries: bjc@jewishbarbados.org.
On numerous occasions we have hosted weddings, Bar- and Bat-Mitzvah celebrations and other simchas in our history-rich, magnificently restored Nidhe Israel synagogue complex. During the Winter season our resident rabbi is available to officiate at your event, however we also warmly welcome all visiting clergy. Inquiries at bjc@jewishbarbados.org or call +1 (246) 826-5869.
Jews fleeing the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions were among the very first European settlers to arrive in Barbados: (1628). In 1654 part of the Jewish community of Recife, Brazil relocated to Barbados with the assent of Oliver Cromwell, the Protestant leader of England, and built the Nidhe Israel synagogue. This Sephardic community thrived for almost two centuries, then vanished with the collapse of the cane sugar trade in the later part of the 19th century. Today the Nidhe Israel complex. which includes the restored synagogue, adjacent cemeteries, a mikvah (ritual bath) and world-class museum, is part of the Barbados National Trust. By charter the Barbados Jewish Community is granted access to these historic facilities for its religious services and other communal functions.
