News Americas, PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Tues. July 1, 2025: Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo, is a UNESCO World Heritage site – and also the home of an extensive digital archive that saves centuries of Jewish history. Paper documents have been digitized, made accessible, and protected against climate, decay, and disaster. The Dutch team led by Dr Rosa de Jong has collected over 600 gigabytes of documents. One hard drive is to be donated to the National Archives of Suriname for their digital collections. 

The Neveh Shalom Synagogue in Paramaribo, Suriname. One of the few synagogues in the world located immediately next door to a mosque.

Jewish roots in Suriname

Jewish settlers arrived from Brazil and Europe in the 1600s. They founded agricultural communities, with Jodensavanne becoming a plantation centre along the Suriname River. Around 1700, about 500 Jewish planters owned nearly 9,000 enslaved people. The community later relocated to Paramaribo, and by the mid-1700s, there were two synagogues: Neveh Shalom and Tzedek ve-Shalom.

Personal narratives

The digital archive holds personal testimonies of World War II. Letters from Dutch Jewish refugees tell of survival and refuge in Suriname. In 1942, over 100 refugees fled the Holocaust and arrived in Paramaribo. Liny Pajgin Yollick described hearing the Dutch National Anthem when they arrived, writing that it was “very emotional” having thought they would never hear it again (per The Times of Israel). Teroenga, a magazine published for Jewish people in Suriname, ran a “Bevrijding” (“Liberation”) headline when the Netherlands was free from Nazi occupation. The archive includes a copy of every Teroenga issue.

Collaboration

De Jong was assisted in large part by Lilly Duijm, a 78-year-old who had kept physical documents of the archive for over 20 years. Duijm was born in Suriname and moved to the Netherlands at 14. She returned to Suriname in 1973 shortly before its independence. She said that even after her death, the archive will keep alive the history of her people.

Religious, social traditions, and heritage

Suriname’s Jewish community was once among the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The early settlers established synagogues, schools, and their own judicial systems. The community’s synagogues were places for worship, education, and social gatherings. They celebrated with unique customs, mixing Surinamese, Ashkenazi, and Sephardic influences, during holidays like Passover and Hanukkah. This tradition of blending cultural elements is seen in contemporary Judaica like the artistic menorahs featured at www.nadavart.com. 

Simon Goldstone, PhD candidate, researched Suriname Jews for a piece entitled “The Lost Jews of Suriname”, published at the UF Liberal Arts and Sciences website. Goldstone wrote that Jewish migrants arrived in the Caribbean from Iberia in the 17th century. They found a chance to reclaim their religious and cultural heritage in Suriname’s Dutch colony, having been forced to live as Christians during the Inquisition. 

As Goldstone notes, the Cassipora Creek and Jodensavanne colonies are the first examples of early modern Jews who had the freedom to construct their own communities on a new landscape. There were hundreds of Jewish families who lived here, but there were also thousands of indigenous Surinamese and enslaved Africans who brought their own cultural and religious practices. Goldstone writes that the convergence of these cultures led to a unique society and new religious forms.

Today, the headstones of Cassipora Creek’s cemetery are the only visible remains of the community. They’re managed by local Redi Doti villagers and the Jodensavanne Foundation. Goldstone and fellow researchers aimed to establish a plan for future research at the Cassipora Creek site.

Legacy in the digital age

Such efforts preserve Jewish history in the digital world – not only for scholars, but future generations seeking to understand colonialism, faith, and resilience.

By Suzette A. Henry

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 25, 2025: Along the sun-kissed shores of the Eastern Caribbean, a silent epidemic is growing. It threatens the future of our youth and the strength of our communities. Obesity, particularly among adolescents, has surged at alarming rates. Nevis, a small but vibrant island, now bears the unfortunate distinction of having the highest per capita adolescent obesity rate in the region. According to the World Health Organization, (WHO, 2023), nearly one in three Caribbean adolescents is either overweight or obese, with Nevis reaching over 35 percent. This is a public health emergency unfolding in plain sight.

As I have journeyed across Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Montserrat, Guyana, and the twin-island federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, my heart has been both refreshed by our cultural richness and heavy with concern. Vending stalls overflow with sugary drinks and ultra-processed snacks. Schoolyards once alive with play now show signs of inactivity. The data confirms what the eye cannot ignore. A 2022 Pan American Health Organization, (PAHO) study revealed that more than 60 percent of Caribbean adults are overweight or obese, many from as early as adolescence. This trend increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, infertility, and even early death.

A broader regional snapshot further underscores the scale of this health crisis. Based on a 2019 PAHO comparative analysis, WHO Global Health Observatory data (2022), and Caribbean Public Health Agency, (CARPHA) reports, adult obesity prevalence in the Eastern Caribbean remains among the highest worldwide:
• Saint Kitts and Nevis: 45.6%
• Antigua and Barbuda: 33.3%
• Barbados: 38.0%
• Jamaica: 33.8%
• Dominica: 31.3%
• Saint Lucia: 33.5%
• Saint Vincent & the Grenadines: 33.2%

While the general Caribbean average is around 25%, several Eastern Caribbean nations now exceed 30%, and in the case of Saint Kitts and Nevis, nearly 46%. Antigua and Barbuda’s prevalence of 33.3% places it in step with this concerning regional trend.

In Saint Kitts and Nevis specifically, the Global Nutrition Report 2025 reveals that 33.6% of adult women and 18.1% of adult men are living with obesity – higher than the regional average for women (30.7%) and slightly below for men (22.8%). According to the World Health Organization’s Global Health Observatory, approximately 23.1% of adults in Saint Kitts and Nevis have obesity (BMI ≥ 30, age-standardized), confirming a national burden in line with regional trends. Alarmingly, diabetes is estimated to affect 19.3% of adult women and 15.3% of adult men. Despite the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, there is still inadequate data on obesity prevalence among children under five, and no clear sign the nation is reversing these trends.

What is driving this growing health crisis? It is not only the food but the full plate of modern life. Our diets have shifted from vibrant local produce to heavily processed imports. Physical activity has declined, replaced by screen time and sedentary habits. Aggressive marketing of unhealthy products to children and economic barriers to healthy eating further compound the problem. In Nevis, the shift from farm-fresh ground provisions to convenient processed foods, combined with the loss of active communal living, paints a picture of lifestyle disconnection and cultural drift.

Yet the roots of our healing are still present in our soil, our traditions, and our kitchens. Alternative and integrative approaches, rooted in Caribbean heritage, offer hope. Herbal remedies like moringa for metabolism, neem for blood sugar regulation, cerasee for detoxification, and turmeric for inflammation have long been used in our communities. When paired with plant-based diets rich in callaloo, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, and guava, these natural interventions can significantly improve health outcomes. A clinical trial in Barbados by Best et al. (2020) demonstrated that culturally tailored lifestyle interventions led to measurable weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity within just six months. Healing does not always come in a capsule; it often comes in a calabash.

Medically appropriate strategies must support these lifestyle shifts. School-based screening and early intervention programs, community nutrition education, regular BMI tracking, and multidisciplinary wellness clinics should be prioritized. Pediatricians, dietitians, behavioral therapists, and exercise coaches must work together with families to support sustainable change. For young people already facing obesity, early referrals and ongoing support are critical. The earlier the intervention, the greater the chance of recovery and resilience.

The cost of inaction is far too great. Obesity burdens our healthcare systems, weakens our workforce, and shortens life expectancy. It disrupts families, fuels absenteeism in schools, and contributes to emotional distress and mental health challenges among our youth. A 2021 CARPHA report linked adolescent obesity to increased depression, social isolation, and early-onset non-communicable diseases. If left unchecked, this crisis will not only shorten lives but diminish the Caribbean’s collective future.

We do not need a temporary fix. We need a movement. A movement of parents who cook from the garden, teachers who inspire active learning, churches that preach wholeness, and leaders who legislate for health equity. We must return to homegrown habits, traditional knowledge, and faith-fueled purpose. The Caribbean’s healing lies not in imported pills but in the power of our people to reclaim their health, their heritage, and their hope. Acting now, with courage and compassion, to ensure our children carry dreams and not disease is a high priority.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Suzette A. Henry, MBA, MD, PhD, is a physician, public health advocate, and long-term health executive with over 27 years of experience in clinical care, education, and leadership. She holds degrees in nursing, biomedical sciences, business administration, and medicine from SUNY Downstate, Kaplan University, and the University of Science, Arts, and Technology.