Digitization Efforts Preserve Jewish Heritage in Suriname Amid Threats

In light of a recent fire in Paramaribo, a team of volunteers is digitizing over 100,000 historic Jewish documents at Suriname's Neveh Shalom Synagogue. Spearheaded by Dutch researcher Rosa de Jong, this project highlights the urgency of preserving Jewish history in the Caribbean, where Jews have had a significant presence since the 1700s. The effort aims to safeguard records crucial for understanding the Jewish diaspora, particularly those escaping the Holocaust. The project has amassed over 600 gigabytes of data, contributing to the National Archives of Suriname.