Jewish educator Tyler Samuels on how the Spanish Inquisition led to Jewish life in the Caribbean

Tyler Samuels, a Canadian-based Sephardic Jamaican Jew whose educational Jewish history content focuses on the Jews of the Caribbean and Canada, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism where he spoke about how Jewish life in the Caribbean was the result of Jews fleeing persecution during the Spanish Inquisition.

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Mr Samuels said that when Spanish and Portuguese Jews fled to Caribbean islands, the islands were under the occupation of Spain, although the laws of religious observance were not fully enforced. Regardless, Jewish life was not allowed to flourish, and texts from that time reportedly referred to Jews in the area as “not real Christians”, the educator said. This led to Jews in the Caribbean remaining fearful.

Following the English invasion of Jamaica, Jews were able to practice openly and a wave of Sephardic Jewish immigration began. By 1720, a reported eighteen percent of Jamaica’s population was Jewish.

However, according to Mr Samuels, antisemitism was still prevalent. Jews living in Barbados, for example, “went through a lot of oppression and persecution under the British colonial government.”

He added: “Apparently, there was even a ghetto established for them at one point.”

While Jews living in Jamaica had a far different experience, they were still subject to economic discrimination, he said. 

He said of Jewish families in the Caribbean: “Yes, they had some rights, but whether they were living under Dutch, or British, or even French colonial rule, they always had to fight for the little bit of human rights, when they had gone through so much of the Inquisition.”

According to Mr Samuels, there is today a “thriving Jewish community in Jamaica,” with the synagogue in Kingston, built over one hundred years ago, welcoming Jews of many backgrounds. 

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox.

Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, television personality Robert Rinder, writer Eve Barlow, Grammy-Award-winning singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, and actor Eddie Marsan.