Honoring the Jews of Jamaica | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com – Algemeiner
Posted By admin on August 12, 2022
Jamaican Jewry has a vibrant history of social-economic, cultural, traditional, and intellectual values. The third-largest island in the Caribbean Sea, Jamaica features a diverse Jewish population, where Jews of any background are allowed to worship as they please. I am proud to trace my Jewish ancestry through Jamaica and the African diaspora.
In Port Royal, located at the mouth of Kingston Harbor, Jews arrived after fleeing Spain and Portugal; Africans transported by Trans Atlantic slave ships came from the Iberian Peninsula in 1513, and then later, during British rule, the Akan and Igbo peninsulas.
Learning about these horrific historical events, I could only imagine the fear, confusion, and heartache of fleeing or being shipped to a foreign land, severed from loved ones.
My paternal great-great-grandmother met my great-great-grandfather in the capital of Jamaica. They found each other despite Jamaicas history, and they were beshert (destined).
Like them, I cherish Judaism through the lens of multiculturalism. As a Jewish mother raising our son in a Jewish household, I look forward to incorporating parts of these ancient traditions to build a stronger Jewish family foundation. These include creating daily lesson plans for us to learn and practice the Hebrew alphabet, words, and phrases; baking animal-shaped challah bread on Friday nights, and learning the history of the Jewish people. Theres a sense of groundedness in Judaism when I connect back to the roots of my ancestors. Its almost as if theyre sitting at the dinner table with us on Shabbat.
In researching my multiracial identities, I also felt compelled to seek the intersectionality between Jamaican Jews who live in Jamaica and myself living in Chicago as a Jewish person of Jamaican descent. I hope to bridge the gap between Sephardim, Ashkenazi, and so on, in eliminating stereotypes, racism, and discrimination in the Jewish community and the world at large, and inviting people to learn the incredible history of Jamaican Jews, as well as other diverse populations.
I am proud to continue this path towards Judaism, having been raised with a secular Jewish upbringing, and having had a Bat Mitzvah. In my teen years, I carried those Jewish philosophies and values that influenced my life tremendously. They inspired me to lead with an open heart, stop injustice, educate, and bring the multicultural Jewish community together, because there is strength and unlimited possibilities in diversity.
Everyone who is able should aim to travel to Jamaica and meet the Jamaican Jewish community, whether at sand-covered Jewish synagogues or kosher restaurants. Visitors can also experience Jamaicas art and historical museums, or stories by Jamaican Jews of their experiences living in Jamaica.
Through my diverse upbringing, I have learned that we are all in this together. We have all tried to escape persecution and continue our traditions despite immeasurable odds. The Jews of Jamaica are no exception.
Aayisha Ruby Gold is an award-winning actor and freelance journalist and director, and was named 36under36 and a member of JUF Young Women Board. She is also a wife and Jewish mother, who is learning and teaching Hebrew to their wonderful 3 year old son, Asher.
Read the rest here:
Honoring the Jews of Jamaica | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com - Algemeiner
- Jewish ethnic divisions - Wikipedia - November 14th, 2023
- Ashkenazi Jews descend from 350 people, study finds - November 2nd, 2023
- State AG presses 23andMe for action after hack that targeted Ashkenazi Jewish, Chinese ancestry - The Hill - November 2nd, 2023
- Treating the wounded in battle: Dor Ashkenazi and Almog Oren - ISRAEL21c - November 2nd, 2023
- The Day Before Oct. 7, Hackers Stole 23andMe Data on Ashkenazi Jews - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - October 25th, 2023
- Ashkenazi Jews in Israel - Wikipedia - October 22nd, 2023
- 23andMe scraping incident leaked data on 1.3 million users of Ashkenazi and Chinese descent - The Record from Recorded Future News - October 10th, 2023
- The Origins of Ashkenaz, Ashkenazic Jews, and Yiddish - September 18th, 2023
- Meeting the ancestors: History of Ashkenazi Jews revealed in ... - AAAS - August 30th, 2023
- Where are Ashkenazi Jews today? | Britannica - August 22nd, 2023
- Study: Ashkenazi Breast Cancer Risk is Overestimated by Current ... - Yid Info - August 22nd, 2023
- RFK Jr. said COVID-19 was targeted to spare Ashkenazi Jews. One rabbi came to his defense. - Forward - July 20th, 2023
- RFK Jr. suggests COVID-19 was ethnically targeted to avoid Ashkenazi Jews - The Times of Israel - July 18th, 2023
- Here Is Why 'Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese' Is Trending on Social ... - Pajiba Entertainment News - July 18th, 2023
- Kishke: Unraveling the Gut-Deep Culinary Traditions of Ashkenazi ... - Aish - June 6th, 2023
- B.C. initiative aims to expand genetic screening for Ashkenazi Jewish people at risk of hereditary cancers - CBC.ca - May 29th, 2023
- Medical genetics of Jews - Wikipedia - March 20th, 2023
- Ashkenazi Jews Must Stop Identifying As White/European - February 27th, 2023
- What does it mean to be genetically Jewish? - the Guardian - February 16th, 2023
- Ashkenazi Jews Are Not Khazars. Heres The Proof. - The Forward - December 31st, 2022
- Bones yielding insights about Ashkenazi DNA in a German town built atop ... - December 25th, 2022
- 9. Race, ethnicity, heritage and immigration among U.S. Jews - December 23rd, 2022
- Khazar hypothesis of Ashkenazi ancestry - Wikipedia - December 20th, 2022
- We Were The Lucky Ones: Robin Weigert, Lior Ashkenazi Join Cast ... - November 19th, 2022
- Y-chromosomal Aaron - Wikipedia - October 23rd, 2022
- Wanted for work in Israel: pimps and Ashkenazi cooks - Haaretz - October 23rd, 2022
- Ashkenazi Jewish Heritage and Genetic Risk | OncoLink - October 17th, 2022
- Israeli needle-free alternative to amnio can detect thousands of mutations - The Times of Israel - October 17th, 2022
- Jamaican Organizations and B'nai Brith to Work Together to Highlight Little-Known Chapter of the Holocaust - bnaibrith.ca - October 17th, 2022
- Work remains on Tay-Sachs and other Ashkenazi genetic disorders J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 19th, 2022
- Canada's oldest Ashkenazi congregation just recovered a 100-year-old time capsule on their milestone anniversary weekend - The Canadian Jewish News - September 19th, 2022
- How to Celebrate Rosh Hashanah With the Help of London Restaurants This Year - Eater London - September 19th, 2022
- Pope criticised over running 'supermarket of religions' - TVP World - September 19th, 2022
- Want to know more about breast cancer and genetics? This Q&A will have all the answers - HerCanberra - September 19th, 2022
- They have their secret. Now I have a secret too: The story behind SumiLicious, the only Scarborough restaurant to receive a Michelin award - Toronto... - September 19th, 2022
- Trip notebook: Papal critics, an ambassador for Italian and sitting on the same level - Crux Now - September 19th, 2022
- Netanyahu poised to lead most rightwing government in Israeli history - Mondoweiss - September 19th, 2022
- Recap: Recent Advances in the Treatment of Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer - Cancer Network - September 19th, 2022
- $55 million gift to Penn is aimed at stopping breast cancer before it starts - The Philadelphia Inquirer - September 16th, 2022
- The Pope Addresses The Heart Of The Belt & Road Initiative In Kazakhstan - Silk Road Briefing - September 16th, 2022
- Who will / should win the Ophirs? - Blog - The Film Experience - September 16th, 2022
- Lox block: UWS congregation takes beloved salmon off the menu, citing environmental concerns - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 11th, 2022
- Meet the Rabbi Who Ended 1300 Years of Ritual Humiliation - aish.com - Aish.com - September 11th, 2022
- Playing with Fragments - The Jewish Standard - September 11th, 2022
- All the Rosh Hashanah Gifts You Need - Kveller.com - September 11th, 2022
- A tour of what it means to be Christian in multicultural Kazakhstan - Travel Tomorrow - September 11th, 2022
- This Rosh Hashanah, fill up on symbolic dips, bites and small plates J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 8th, 2022
- This Missouri bagel shop went viral for its Talmud-inspired effort to feed the needy - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 8th, 2022
- Missouri bagel shop goes viral for effort to feed the needy J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 8th, 2022
- Radiocarbon dating only works halfway we may have the solution - PiPa News - September 8th, 2022
- Congress of World and Traditional Religions Leaders to be held at Palace of Independence - inform.kz/en - September 8th, 2022
- Israeli Terror Victim Teens Gifted Tefillin and Shabbat Candlesticks on Canadian Trip - Lubavitch.com - September 6th, 2022
- Taking inspiration from the Talmud to feed the needy - Australian Jewish News - September 6th, 2022
- New book explores the insane career of Syrian Jewish hustler Crazy Eddie Antar - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - August 25th, 2022
- UK man who survived concentration camp as baby finally learns his familys identity - The Times of Israel - August 25th, 2022
- Japanese American National Museum premieres cancer-battling directors film on pains of WWII incarceration camps - Yahoo News - August 25th, 2022
- Licorice Pizza to Galaxy Quest: the seven best films to watch on TV this week - The Guardian - August 20th, 2022
- Fascinating Details of Judean Shepherd's Life 6000 Years Ago Revealed by New Tech - Ancient Origins - August 20th, 2022
- The Pletzel of Paris and The Bread That Shares Its Name - aish.com - Aish.com - August 18th, 2022
- Archaeologists discover mosaic with inscription to Peter that may point to location of his home - The Christian Post - August 18th, 2022
- Wolfgang Petersen another celebrity to succumb to pancreatic cancer - Calgary Herald - August 18th, 2022
- A Cry in the Wilderness: How Jewish Organizations Can Help With Jewish Genetic Diseases - Jewish Journal - August 12th, 2022
- Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sports meets with Chief Rabbi of Ashkenazi Jewish community in country - AZERTAC News - August 12th, 2022
- Czerny as the new Lustiger, the 'Jewish cardinal' and papal contender - Crux Now - August 12th, 2022
- Anne Frank, Arab-Jewish relations, karaoke in focus at upcoming Israeli film awards - The Times of Israel - August 12th, 2022
- Metas new chatbot is already parroting users prejudice and misinformation - Popular Science - August 12th, 2022
- Meet the Jews of color exploring what it means to be Black, Asian, Latino and Jewish - Forward - August 12th, 2022
- Jewish wilderness wedding featured animal-skin ketubah, harvest altar J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 12th, 2022
- Ashkenazi Jewish Panel: What It May Reveal About Your Genes - July 23rd, 2022
- At SFJFF opening night, we're all just happy to be back at the Castro J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - July 23rd, 2022
- Verimatrix and Harmonic Partner to Enable Streaming Content Protection at SaaS Speed - StreetInsider.com - July 23rd, 2022
- Russian cuisine has evolved in light of scarcity and isolation - KCRW - July 23rd, 2022
- Tina Sacks on racial inequality in health and feeling 'Jewish enough' - The Jewish News of Northern California - July 23rd, 2022
- Who serves the best kosher pizza in NYC? We found out - Forward - July 23rd, 2022
- Fight Over Fear: Ayesha Khan on the importance of mammograms in fighting breast cancer - FOX 5 DC - July 14th, 2022
- I was named after my uncle who was shot and killed. His Hebrew name is a privilege I dont bear lightly - Forward - July 14th, 2022
- Groups Launched to Help Jewish Couples with IVF Face Uncertain Landscape After Roe Reversal - Jewish Exponent - July 14th, 2022
- Tipping Point: Israel on the Brink The Brooklyn Rail - Brooklyn Rail - July 14th, 2022
- World Premiere of ASHKENAZI SEANCE to be Presented at The Brick This Month - Broadway World - July 10th, 2022
- Lentils Make the Best Fake Minced Meat - Lifehacker - July 10th, 2022
Comments