beracha veshalom vegimulth hasidim synagogue

Meaning the Congregation of Blessing, Peace and Loving Deeds but better known as the St Thomas Synagogue, the congregation was founded in 1796 and is the oldest Hebrew congregation in the United States and the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere. The current synagogue building, located on Crystal Gade, two blocks north of Main Street and one block west of Raadets Gade, built in 1833 and restored in 2000, is open to visitors Mon –Fri from 9am to 4pm (to 3pm on Fri). Inside, key items of interest include a domed ceiling, beautiful chandeliers, mahogany woodwork and a sand floor. When I stopped in, a Bar Mitzvah for a young man from Chicago was just beginning; the Rabbi welcomed the visitors to stay as she explained the history of the congregation, how it was founded by Sephardic Jews and the floor was covered in sand as part of their tradition dating back to the Spanish Inquisition when they covered the floor with sand to muffle the sounds of dancing and celebration to avoid detection. Adjacent to the synagogue is the free (donations welcome) Weibel Museum, also open Mon – Fri from 9am to 4pm (to 3pm on Fri), displaying items from the long history of the small St Thomas Jewish community. If you are on a walking tour of historic Charlotte Amalie, you probably arrived here from either Main Street or the St Thomas Reformed Church. To continue the walking tour from the synagogue, return to Main Street and turn right, heading west, to Market Square and the last official stop of the walking tour.

amazing beautiful synagogue.... the story and history work the step climb... and the sand floor..!!!! check out the shop .. handmade jewelry nothing you have ever seen ... anywhere else ....

The caretaker at the Synagogue gave us a history lesson of the diaspora of the Jews in the 16th /17th century. It was a spectatular building in the middle of a residential area in town. Worth the visit to the gift store for a treasured memory handmade in most cases.

Who knew that St. Thomas has the oldest Jewish Synagogue in the entire Western Hemisphere? This is not a huge building but centrally located and interesting to speak with the local Rabbi who is a walking history book if you can arrange it. They have a lot of history recorded for the Virgin Islands.

This is one of the few historical attractions in St Thomas. The synagogue is in regular use and has a wonderful and beautiful building both inside and outside. Very well maintained with a small informative museum and a gift shop. The cantor gives regular talks as there are lots of visitors mainly from cruise ships. She explains the history of the building and the Jewish people on the island and speaks well. There are lots of other interesting artifacts on display. A few blocks off the main strip but every local can give you directions. A must see and a welcome attraction from the shopping. There is no fee and visitors are welcomed. Donations are optional.

beautiful synagogue sand floor very intersting historical site definitely a place to see while you are in the islands

My son and I visited while we were on our family trip. Being that this is one of the oldest synagogues in the world, it is definitely worth a stop. My son loves history, and while this is small, it's very serene, cool inside, and there is a small museum at the back (the staff described it as the world's smallest museum). There is a short video playing and some interesting information to read. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and encouraged us to walk across the street to where their social hall is to enjoy the stunning views of Charlotte Amalie. The gift shop is also small, but has some great items. It is up a steep hill, so be prepared. It is not a difficult walk from the vendor market area, or water front, except for the steep hill. There are also many stairs to walk up, and I did not notice any ramp or other way to access the synagogue for anyone who may need other access options. Be careful because it would be easy to miss. Wear comfortable shoes (tennis shoes would be best) because the roads around the island are very uneven. Information is available on their website as for times of services, etc.

Beautiful synagogue. It is important to watch the video so you can appreciate the history of the Temple and the members , about 100 families belong and there are about 1000 Jewish families on St. Thomas

Sand on the floor, rather old fashioned posters to tell the history of the Jewish community in the Virgin Islands. Not wery much to see, but interesting to have ben there.

A beautiful old Synagogue that has changed with the times, transforming itself as the population changes. You must know that it's up a very steep hill. When we got off of the cruise line, we asked about a taxi to the synagogue. They charged us an extra dollar each for the ride. ($5 instead of $4!) The best value of the whole trip! The walk down and back to the heart of town was slow and easy, but we were very glad to have taken the taxi all the way up the hill.It's free to go in, and of course, it's nice to give a donation to keep it going. The photos with accompanying information give one a sense of the past and there is a video talk from the present Rabbi that brings you up to date on where they are now. There are many types of interesting information, with news articles and essays. You could visit for a few minutes or spend hours there. All are welcome. During its history, the congregation has been everything from Orthodox to Reform, but the important thing is that it still exists. An example of adaptation and yet preservation. There is a fabulous gift shop where the items range from very inexpensive to very expensive, depending on what you want. The lady there is lovely and helpful.If you are Jewish, it's a must see. If not, and you like to visit churches, mosques, etc, it's also a must see.

We visited the Synagogue and were invited to a service on Friday evening. The people were very friendly, and the service was very nice with music.

The synagogue is located on the top of the hill and is definitely worth a bit of a hike to see it. It is a beautiful building with a sand floor. There is a video which explains the synagogue's history and explains the reason for the sand. Even though we were not there during a service, there was a very real sense of warmth that permeated the building. We stopped in the synagogue store and of course found a great many beautiful items to buy. It was definitely a highlight of our stay on the island.

As we were walking around town there was a group of men with travelers menorahs and dreidels. They gave us a menorah on the 5th day of Chanakah and some dreidels to take with us. Thanks so much, Shalom

after visiting the synagogue in curacao, we wanted to see the 2nd oldest in the western hemisphere. Cantor Diane was awesome and even open the ark to allow use a view of the awesome torahs.the struggles and the faith of this small congregation is empowering. consider becoming a chai member for $36 a year. The synagogue is up a steep hill, but worth the climb.

Of course it is a historic place and you can read about that elsewhere. On short notice I found myself on St Thomas and it was Erev Rosh Hashanah! It is more about the people who make the building what it is. I was so welcomed by people and made to feel so at home, while so far from home. Not only a wonderful historical place it is filled with wonderful generous people. It is not everywhere when a starnger comes to town that they can feel so welcome. Now off to work and back for for Yom Kippur.