Introduction
The Dominican Republic, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, has an unclear Jewish history. This page explores the timeline of Jewish presence, key historical events, and resources for genealogical research.
Early Jewish Presence in Hispaniola (1492-1821)
- 1492: Christopher Columbus reaches Hispaniola
- 1502: Nicolas de Ovando becomes governor, enforcing prohibition of Jews and Conversos in New World colonies
- 16th-18th centuries: Spanish Inquisition operates in the Caribbean, including Hispaniola
Note: While claims of a New Christian presence during this period are common, there is an absence of corroborating evidence.
Jewish History During Dominican Independence (1821-1844)
- 1821: Dominican Republic declares independence from Spain
- 1822-1844: Haitian occupation, land confiscation from white property owners
- 1826: Jacob Pardo is buried in San Domingo
- 1844: Dominican independence restored
Sephardic Jewish Settlement in the 19th Century
- Early 19th century: Sephardic Jews from Curaçao settle in the Dominican Republic
- Notable: Settlers did not establish formal Jewish institutions and may have largely assimilated or left
Jewish Cemetery of Santo Domingo
- Contains burials of early Sephardic settlers
- Yehonatan Elazar-DeMota made a video of the Jewish section of the cemetery in Santo Domingo
- Earliest identified burial: Jacob Pardo of Amsterdam (died December 6, 1826)
- Other families reported by Elazar-DeMota: Crasto, Curiel, Leon
20th Century Jewish History
- Uniquely, out of every country on the planet, Dominican Republic invites Jewish refugees from the Nazis
- Establishment of Sosúa as a Jewish refugee settlement
Researching Sephardic Jewish Genealogy in the Dominican Republic
- Rabbi Henry Zvi Ucko Collection in the Special Collections Library of the University of North Carolina. Rabbi Ucko was especially interested in the assimilation of Sephardic Jews in the Dominican Republic. The collection – includes a Penha family history and cemetery photos.
- Archivo General de la Nación (National Archives of the Dominican Republic)
- FamilySearch.org has a significant collection of Dominican Republic records. Includes colonial records, civil registration, church records, and census data. Some records are digitized and available online
- El Instituto Dominicano de Genealogía
- Genealogía Nuestra website has links for researching genealogy in the Dominican Republic.
- Genealogia Dominicana
- Find a Grave
“Were There Jewish Communities in Saint Domingue (Haiti)?” by Zvi Loker, Journal of Social Sciences, 45, 2, 1983, pages 135 – 146
The 20th century Ashkenazi Jewish community can be researched through the country’s vital records and Holocaust libraries.