Jewish Community in Mauritius
When it comes to five-star hotels, Mauritius has plenty to offer. With sumptuous amenities to make any traveler feel like home, these fine lodgings are luxurious and still maintain a distinctive island charm. Mauritius is one of the most heavenly places on earth, after all, with ocean and beaches and a warm and lively atmosphere. Your days and nights could be spent hiding away in pure decadence, and your stay here will certainly rejuvenate your spirit and body. But if you decide to venture out, there is a lot to see here.
The night life in Mauritius is famous and truly fabulous. Fantastic discos, restaurants, and clubs offer exciting adventures in another world. Food and fun are to be had everywhere. Mauritius is also one of the most truly cosmopolitan places on earth. With a long and complicated history of indigenous, African, and French cultures here, the Creole that is most widely used reflects these histories. There are lots of other cultures, too, like on any island with a history of contact with the world at large. The Jewish cemetery here in Mauritius , however, often strikes visitors by surprise. There is a small Jewish community here, and their origins came from the time of the Holocaust. A boat that was leaving Europe with Jews who were fleeing from Gdansk, Czechoslovakia, and Vienna, was sailing down the African coast toward Palestine, and capsized. The tragedy left some 200 dead, and the others were put on other ships. The British would not allow them into Palestine, so a small community was sent here, where they were first put into a prison, then later allowed some freedom. Some 145 died before they were released in 1945.
Some of these families were brought to South Africa, where communities there took them in. This history is documented in a book, “The Mauritian Shekel,” and is a fascinating read for those looking for Jewish history in Mauritius . More recently, Mauritius commemorated its Jewish community with the opening of a community center, the Amicale Maurice Israel Center in Curepipe, in 2005. It is built with a small synagogue, the first on the island, and a meeting hall.
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