The Caribbean region is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, including the establishment of Jewish communities that have thrived for centuries. The Jewish presence in the Caribbean dates back to the 15th century, when Sephardic Jews fled Spain and Portugal during the Spanish Inquisition.
Despite St. Lucia's relatively brief history of Jewish settlement, the island has made a unique and noteworthy contribution to the Jewish diaspora. Although there has never been a dedicated synagogue or a bustling Jewish community. Today, St. Lucia is home to a small yet active Jewish population of approximately 200 residents, both full-time and part-time, who have chosen to make this stunning island their home.
The first Jewish resident known to have settled on the island was Jacob D'Olivayra, a Sephardic merchant who arrived in the 1850s with his family and lived in the historic city of Soufrière. Since then, an increasing number of Jewish residents have arrived in St. Lucia, contributing their own distinct cultural heritage to the island's already diverse landscape.
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