Jews in Another Environment: Surinam in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century

The most important Jewish center in western hemisphere during eighteenth century was the great colony - Surinam. There, Jews formed perhaps most privileged Jewish community in world. They were often plantation and slave owners, as well as a sizeable proportion of white population. They had their own village, with extensive autonomous rights. This book is a study of impact of environment on Jewish life in a colonial society. It analyzes impact of environment upon migratory patterns, health and mortality, economic structures, intellectual life, and communal dynamics. Following methods of social history, this book uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine impact of environment upon modification of traditional values and modes of behavior. This is first full-length monograph on Surinamese Jewry to appear in two hundred years. The first one, Historical Essay of David Nassy, treated Jewish history as part of colonial experience. This book treats colonial experience as part of Jewish history.