Jodensavanne means 'Jewish Savanna'. It is the best-known settlement of Portuguese Jews in Suriname. In 1639, the first group of Jews came from Europe and settled along the Suriname River, 35 km south of Paramaribo. Later, jews fleeing persecution in Brazil, fled to Jodensavanne and slowly the place started prospering.
Sugarcane plantations were established and black African slave labour was used to work the land. There were numerous attacks from indigenous people, as well as slave revolts. In the end, most of the Jews moved to Paramaribo.
At Jodensavanne you can visit the ruins of the old synagogue named 'Beracha Ve Salom' (Blessing and Peace). A nearby cemetery has a number of 17th to 19th century graves, where some of the marble head stones are still legible.
The site was inscribed in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 2023. Accommodation can be arranged in town.
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