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JWR VerifiedFounding RecordJWR-2026-000288

Oldest Synagogue in Curaçao

Record holder

Mikvé Israel-Emanuel SynagoguePlace

Record value

Consecrated 1732

Holder country: CuraçaoAchievement location: Willemstad, CuraçaoAchievement date: 1732Current record

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Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue

Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue — record-holder site.Dolly442 / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY-SA 3.0

Official record definition

The oldest surviving purpose-built synagogue building in Curaçao, measured by the consecration date of the current synagogue building.

Measurement methodology

Comparative historic-site review limited to Curaçao, using the documented consecration date of the surviving purpose-built synagogue building.

Measurement point: Consecration of the current Mikvé Israel-Emanuel synagogue building in Willemstad.

Record story

The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad, Curaçao, holds the record for the Oldest Synagogue in Continuous Use in the Americas. The achievement date is based on the consecration of the current synagogue building, known as the Snoa, in 1732. This gives the record its value of "Consecrated 1732". The synagogue has remained in continuous congregational use since that time, establishing a record with a continental geographic scope covering the Americas.

The distinction is defined as the oldest surviving synagogue building in the Americas under continuous congregational use. The claim is documented by institutional sources, with the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel congregation itself identifying the Snoa as holding this status. The distinction is independently corroborated by the Curaçao Tourist Board, which confirms the synagogue's age and continuous use within the Western Hemisphere. This record was determined through a comparative historic-site review based on official heritage and specialist sources.

Media

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
27 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

Mikvé Israel-Emanuel's official history states that the current Willemstad synagogue was consecrated in 1732; the congregation dates to 1651.

Superiority evidence

The present 1732 Snoa is the historic surviving synagogue of Curaçao; the congregation's own history documents the sequence of earlier worship sites and the current building.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • About Us — Mikvé Israel-Emanuel / Snoa

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • A day for the city slicker — Curaçao Tourist Board

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • About Us — Mikvé Israel-Emanuel / Snoa

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • About Us

    Official recordMikvé Israel-Emanuel / Snoa

    What this proves: States that the present synagogue was consecrated in 1732 and is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas.

  • A day for the city slicker

    Official recordCuraçao Tourist Board

    What this proves: Corroborates the synagogue's age and continuous-use distinction in the Western Hemisphere.

  • Curaçao synagogue1 image — Wikimedia Commons

    Holder-controlled websiteWikimedia Commons

    What this proves: Licensed exterior image; CC BY-SA 3.0.

  • Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue coordinate location

    Independent publicationWikidata

    What this proves: Published coordinate location for the physical synagogue site: 12.105000, -68.932500.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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