Luis de Torres Synagogue

== History ==

== History ==

The synagogue is named after [[Luis de Torres]], identified by [[Meyer Kayserling]]'s 1894 book ''[[Christopher Columbus and the Participation of the Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese Discoveries|Christopher Columbus and the participation of the Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese discoveries]]'' as a [[Sephardic Jew]] who sailed with [[Christopher Columbus]] at the beginning of the [[European colonization of the Americas]]. He is thought to have been the first Jew to have arrived in the [[New World]], having arrived in 1492.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grisar |first1=P. J. |title=How Columbus brought America its first Jew |url=https://forward.com/culture/433044/christopher-columbus-luis-de-torres-americas-first-jew/ |website=The Forward |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=en |date=10 October 2022}}</ref>

The synagogue is named after [[Luis de Torres]], identified by [[Meyer Kayserling]]'s 1894 book ''[[Christopher Columbus and the Participation of the Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese Discoveries|Christopher Columbus and the participation of the Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese discoveries]]'' as a [[Sephardic Jew]] who sailed with [[Christopher Columbus]] at the beginning of the [[European colonization of the Americas]]. He is thought to have been the first Jew to have arrived in the [[New World]], having arrived in 1492.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last1=Grisar |first1=P. J. |title=How Columbus brought America its first Jew |url=https://forward.com/culture/433044/christopher-columbus-luis-de-torres-americas-first-jew/ |website=The Forward |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=en |date=10 October 2022}}</ref>

The former synagogue is situated on East Sunrise Highway, between the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic "Mary Star of the Sea.". The building previously belonged to a bank, who reclaimed the building after the synagogue's closure.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Synagogue History |work=Luis de Torres Synagogue |url=http://ot031.urj.net:80/History.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703070429/http://ot031.urj.net/History.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2007 |access-date=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Bahamas Virtual Jewish History Tour |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/bahamas-virtual-jewish-history-tour |access-date=4 July 2025 |website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org}}</ref> The synagogue functioned from 1972 to 2021 when it shut down because many members (mostly non nationals) left because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the Jewish population of the city was around 200.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=World Jewish Congress |url=https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/about/communities/BS |website=World Jewish Congress |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=EN}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

The former synagogue is situated on East Sunrise Highway, between the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic "Mary Star of the Sea.". The building previously belonged to a bank, who reclaimed the building after the synagogue's closure. The building is described as having a white stucco facade.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Synagogue History |work=Luis de Torres Synagogue |url=http://ot031.urj.net:80/History.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703070429/http://ot031.urj.net/History.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 July 2007 |access-date=22 November 2018 }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Bahamas Virtual Jewish History Tour |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/bahamas-virtual-jewish-history-tour |access-date=4 July 2025 |website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org}}</ref> The synagogue functioned from 1972 to 2021 when it shut down because many members (mostly non nationals) left because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the Jewish population of the city was around 200.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=World Jewish Congress |url=https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/about/communities/BS |website=World Jewish Congress |access-date=4 July 2025 |language=EN}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

The Bahamas also has a Jewish section of the cemetery in [[Nassau, The Bahamas|Nassau]] on [[New Providence Island]]. In addition, there is a [[Chabad]] in the Baha Mar resort in the [[Cable Beach, Bahamas|Cable Beach]] area of the island who have a [[minyan]] on [[Shabbat]].<ref name=":1" />

The Bahamas also has a Jewish section of the cemetery in [[Nassau, The Bahamas|Nassau]] on [[New Providence Island]]. In addition, there is a [[Chabad]] in the Baha Mar resort in the [[Cable Beach, Bahamas|Cable Beach]] area of the island who have a [[minyan]] on [[Shabbat]]. In addition, there is a Jewish school named the Samantha and Sarah Nadal Hebrew School.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Commonwealth Jewish Council - The Bahamas |url=https://www.cjc.org.uk/communities/the-americas/the-bahamas |website=www.cjc.org.uk |access-date=4 July 2025}}</ref>

== See also ==

== See also ==