History of the Jews in Jamaica
Encyclopedia
Modern times
By religious bloodlines and not practicing of the Jewish faith, it is estimated that nearly 424,000 Jamaicans have Sephardi Jewish ancestry, due to the Spanish Inquisition.Notable people
- Monty AlexanderMonty AlexanderMonty Alexander is a jazz pianist and melodica player. His playing has a strong Caribbean influence and swinging feeling, but he has also been influenced by Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly, and Ahmad Jamal.-Biography:Alexander discovered the piano at the age of 4, taking classical music...
- Jazz Pianist - Neville AshenheimNeville AshenheimSir Neville Noel Ashenheim was a Jamaican businessman, lawyer, politician, and served as the first Jamaican Ambassador to the United States. He received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II on 1 January 1963. Ashenheim served his post as ambassador until March 1967....
- businessman - Chris BlackwellChris BlackwellChristopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
- Record label founder and owner (Jewish mother) - Jacob De CordovaJacob De CordovaJacob De Cordova, , was the founder of the Jamaica Gleaner. He settled in Texas in 1839 and lived in Galveston. After living in Galveston, De Cordova moved to Houston, Texas where he was elected a Texas House of Representatives to the second Texas Legislature in the year 1847. DE CORDOVA, JACOB...
- Founder of the Jamaica Daily Gleaner newspaper - Moses Cohen HenriquesMoses Cohen HenriquesMoses Cohen Henriques was a Dutch pirate of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish origin, operating in the Caribbean.Henriques helped Dutch naval officer and folk hero Admiral Piet Pieterszoon Hein, of the Dutch West India Company, capture the Spanish treasure fleet in the battle of the Bay of Matanzas in...
- Pirate, escapee from Spanish Inquisition - Anna Ruth Henriques - Artist and jewellery designer
- Sean PaulSean PaulSean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
- Dancehall musician (Jewish grandfather; Paul Raised Catholic by parents) - Sylvana Henriques - former Model and Actress