Cemeteries of Curaçao’s Jewish Community
Did you know that:
- … Beth Haim means “House of Life” and when added to the specific location it is used to denote Sephardic cemeteries?
- … Beth Haim Bleinhem is a collage of not less than six parcels of land acquired successively in 1659, 1726, 1750, 1800 (two separate parcels) and 1822?
- … Beth Haim was located on plantation ‘Blij en Heijm’ or ‘Blynheim’ which was acquired by CPIM, the predecessor of Shell Curaçao, after the establishment of the refinery to the east of the cemetery?
- … Beth Haim Bleinheim is the oldest walled-in cemetery in the Americas and continued in use into the 1950’s?
- … the oldest discovered tombs in the Americas are not at Beth Haim Bleinheim, that honor being due to Barbados and before that likely Recife?
- … the 1822 section, which now forms an integral part of Beth Haim Bleinheim, was bought by the dissidents during the Hazzan Jeosuah Piza conflict so that they could bury their departed loved ones without engaging Hazzan Piza in that ceremony?
- … numerous unsuccessful efforts were undertaken between 1954 and the year 2000 to try to protect the gravestones from the refinery’s harmful emissions and to rescue the beautiful historic sepulchral art and inscriptions?
- … Beth Haim Berg Altena also is a collection of separate parcels of land purchased successively in1864, 1880 and 1953 to which three small slivers of land were added in 1962 when the road currently named Kaya Gutierez/Gerardina was developed?
- … the attractive wall alongside Kaya Gutierez/Gerardina was designed by the late architect Ben Smit and built in 1962?
- … the 1864 eastern part of the Berg Altena cemetery was used for burial of members of the Reform Community Temple Emanu-El, its first burial being the interment of Dr. Salomon de Leon in 1865?
- … the 1880 western part became a more conveniently located burial site for members of Mikvé Israel as transporting the deceased by barge to Bleinheim or visiting graves there became increasingly cumbersome?
- … the first burial by Sephardic Mikvé Israel at their new Berg Altena cemetery was an Ashkenazi Jew, David Meijer, in 1880?
- … the two cemetery sections were separated for over seventy-five years by a wall which was demolished in 1958 and of which the foundation is still visible?
- … the ornate street-side fencing at the Temple Emanu-El side was a donation from Moses N. C. Henriquez in 1915?
- … the parcel acquired in 1953 is where most of the members of Shaarei Tsedek are interred?
- … the Casas de Rodeos at Bleinheim and Berg Altena had lettering attached in 1925 with texts from the Pirke Avot: “Ayilodum Lamut – Die geboren zijn moeten sterven” and “Veametin Leehayot – De dooden zulen herleven”?
- … Emmanuel was able to identify 2570 graves at Bleinheim in 1943 but estimated that there might well be another 2500 graves which have totally deteriorated or of which the deceased was buried only in a shroud?
- … there are 1271 tombs at Beth Haim Berg Altena, and that Sandra de Marchena and David Serphos have photographed each of these tombs?
- … of the tombs at Berg Altena, some 44% are of members of Mikvé Israel, 22% of Temple Emanu-El, 20% of the merged Mikvé Israel-Emanuel and 9% of Shaarei Tsedek, and 5% of children who were either stillborn or died at a very young age?
- … of the tombs at Bleinheim 73% have Portuguese and 16% Spanish inscriptions?
- … that at Berg Altena there is not even one tomb with a Portuguese inscription, 56% have Spanish and 21% have English inscriptions?
- … at Bleinheim 69% of the identified tombs are inscribed with a biblical first name while at Berg Altena that share of names declined to 34%?
- … the leading biblical names at Bleinheim are Abraham and Sarah while at Berg Altena these are David and Esther?
- … Esther was considered by Iberian Jews to have been an ancient crypto-Jew and therefore became one of the most popular names of Sephardim?
- … there are seventy-two sepulchral monuments at Berg Altena that appear to be “not Jewish” but that similar tombs of a universal non-idolatry design are found as well in some US and European Jewish cemeteries?
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