By Menachem Posner – Chabad.org
With nearly 400 years of Jewish settlement, Jamaica is poised to turn a new leaf in the annals of its Jewish history, with the arrival of its first-ever permanent Chabad emissary couple.
Chabad’s presence on the island has a long and storied history, dating back to the summer of 1957, when young rabbinical students Yehuda Krinsky and Leibel Raskin had been sent by the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—to bring Jewish publications and awareness to Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In his report to the Rebbe, Raskin described a Jamaican Jewish community that was thirsting for Jewish teaching and services, but lacked kosher food and other basic infrastructure.
Shortly thereafter, Rabbi Krinsky went on to directly serve the Rebbe; today, he is the chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Rabbi Raskin, who passed away in 2004, became the Rebbe’s emissary to Morocco.
Over the decades, Jamaica was served by successive groups of “Roving Rabbis” who visited the island, mostly during the summer months or for Jewish holidays.
Nearly 60 years later, Jamaica has become the ninth Caribbean island to have its own full-time Chabad presence, as Rabbi Yaakov and Mushkee Raskin—married for just a year—prepare to relocate and jump-start Chabad of Jamaica in time for the High Holidays.
“Our move here was really inspired by my grandfather,” says the 24-year-old Montreal native, a grandson of Rabbi Leibel Raskin. “On his 70th birthday—one year before he passed away—he asked his grandchildren to make the effort to become emissaries of the Rebbe. I knew that this would be the life for me, but I never dreamed I would serve the same place where he once served so many years before.”
One Thing Leads to Another
Following their marriage in August 2013, the Raskins began to consider Jamaica as a place to found a Chabad center of their own. After a discussion with Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, and Rabbi Mendel Zarchi, founder and spiritual leader of Chabad in Puerto Rico and the point person for Judaism in the Caribbean, the two planned their first trip together to scout the island out in the spring of 2014, with the guidance of Mushkee’s parents, Rabbi Zushe and Esther Wilhelm.
Hearing about a Jamaican Jew with ties to Great Britain named Raymond Doweck, who kept kosher while living in Kingston, the couple decided to set up a meeting. When they called his home, they were dismayed to discover that he had a stroke that very morning. Upon arrival in Jamaica, they went directly to his hospital room and were saddened to learn that Doweck did not appear responsive to their conversation. Much to the delight of his family, he did, however, perk up somewhat when the rabbi would strap tefillin upon his arm and head.
Shortly thereafter, they met Doweck’s niece, Debby Flacks, whom it turned out that the rabbi knew, as the two had met at his sister’s Chabad center in Monaco. Flacks and her husband, Michael, attend regularly when they are in Monte Carlo.
As the weeks progressed and Doweck’s situation continued to deteriorate, the Raskins maintained steady contact with the family, offering prayers, support and even kosher food for those in Jamaica attending to his needs.
After learning of Doweck’s passing, Raskin decided to attend his funeral in Israel. There, appreciative family members offered to help fund Raskin’s fledgling Chabad center as a tribute to Doweck, whom they say had always wanted a Chabad House on the Island.
As per the family’s wishes, when the Raskins returned to Jamaica this summer for a second visit, they used Doweck’s home as a temporary Chabad House, in which they hosted meals and celebrations.
At the same time, they also held a day camp for half-a-dozen local children, combining education (Torah study) and entertainment for a well-rounded Jewish experience.
The summer also offered them the opportunity to begin supplying kosher food and to locals and tourists alike—a need that has been sorely lacking. And they used the time to search for a home for their Chabad center in Montego Bay.
Right Near the Resorts
While most of the Jewish residents (as well as the community center, United Congregation of Israelites) are concentrated in the capital city of Kingston, the Raskins chose to put down roots in Montego Bay; it’s a haven for tourists and has recently been connected to Kingston with a new highway, cutting down travel time between the two population centers. They plan to make the trip to Kingston every week or two for Torah classes, children’s programs and other Jewish services with the local community.
“After a series of false starts, we found a place that is right up the hill from the major resorts,” says Mushkee Raskin, 22, from Brooklyn, N.Y. “And best of all, it’s right next door to a Jewish family we met. We already had them, along with Debbie and Michael [Flacks] over as our first Shabbat guests—something we hope will become a regular occurrence.”
With their new home secured and their household belongings in transit, the Raskins are concentrating on the High Holidays, taking reservations and drumming up interest for services and meals for tourists and locals alike. So far, they have made contact with about 70 Jewish households, and the numbers are climbing steadily.
“Sure, there are fewer Jews here than where we grew up,” the rabbi reflects, “but that just means that we treasure each and every individual, and do our best to make every relationship as rich and meaningful as possible.”
Click here to donate to the new Chabad center.
While you are in the area check out Falmouth Jewish Cemetery, mainly Portuguese Jewish Descendants.
It was formerly believed that only 200 people were religiously practising Jews in Jamaica and that most Jews had migrated out of Jamaica. A recent study has now estimated that nearly 424,000 Jamaicans are descendants of Jewish (Sephardic) immigrants to Jamaica from Portugal and Spain from 1494 to the present, either by birth or ancestry. Jewish documents, gravestones written in Hebrew and recent DNA testing have proven this. While many are non-practising of Judaism, it is recorded that over 20,000 Jamaicans religiously identify as Jews. Common Jewish surnames in Jamaica are: Abrahams, Isaacs, Levy, Marish, Lindo, Sangster, Da Silva, Cohen,… Read more »
My wife is Jamaican. I’ve been there with her 3 times. When we are there we go to the shul on 92 Duke Street in Kingston. The population of Jamaica is approximately 2,500,000. I don’t believe that 20% of the population of Jamaica have “Jewish blood.” That is, of course, unless you count the Rastafarians, who claim to be one lf the lost tribes. The bottom line is that I don’t believe your figures are correct.
she was the absolute best math teacher
I think it was Levi Weingarten who made the logo
Wow MAZEL tov!! Impressive logo on the donate page! Very well appropriate and Just perfect for this crowd! Would love to know who made it?!
Zeide in himel is watching and shepping nachas keep up the good work
-your cousin
Where do you get those numbers?
So much Jewish History on that island it’s about time BH. When I visited I was puzzled as to why there was no Chabad with over 500 thousand people with Jewish blood on the island figure ten percent are real Jews I thought what are they waiting for!
Go Mushkee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck on your new milestone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— a friend!
hatzlacha! an asherkocha on thebeutiful beutiful article!
In the desert there are no office buildings or factories. So if you lived in the desert, chances are you wouldn’t have a job. There’d be no boss bossing you, and no underlings under you. In the desert there are no towns or neighborhoods–you’d be neither on the right nor on the wrong side of the tracks. There aren’t any department stores or grocery stores–you’d eat manna from heaven and wear the same pair of shoes for forty years. Which is why, says our sages, G-d gave us the Torah in the desert. Had He given it to us on… Read more »
Ya MON Go MUSHKEE and Yankel.
We are so proud of you
much hatzalcha!!!!! vive le Montreal
Yasher Koach to Yankel and Mushkee Raskin. I am sure they are going to bring much chassidische light to the Jamaican community and the jewish tourist that will visit the country. May they follow in the footsteps of their parents who have being wonderful shluchim. HATZALCHA RABBA!
To donate please go on http://www.jewishjamaica.com
a grandfather makes a request in his last days and the grandchildren follow through….rare in today’s day and age..
Hazlacha to the young couple whom i don’t know, but can tell from this article that they will succeed….
Hatslocho rabbo
May you bring lots of Nachas to the Rebbe,your parents and grand parents
Kesiva vachasima tova
Devorah Shmouel zvi and the kids