Thehistory of theJews inAruba can be traced back to the 16th century, when the first Jewish immigrants began to arrive. The first Jews in Aruba wereSephardi Jewish immigrants fromNetherlands andPortugal. The first Jew to settle in Aruba was a Portuguese-Jewish worker for theDutch West India Company named Moses Solomon Levie Maduro, who arrived in Aruba with his family in 1754.
After 1924, a number of Jewish immigrants came to Aruba fromEastern Europe,Surinam, andThe Netherlands.[1] In 1942, a Jewish center was opened and the Jewish community became officially organized four years later.[2]
TheBeth Israel Synagogue was consecrated on November 4, 1962, inOranjestad. Beth Israel also shares their house of worship with the Jewish Community of Aruba (Israelitische Gemeente).
As of 2013, the Jewish population is around 85.[3] The former Prime MinisterMike Eman is Jewish. Eman has interacted withChabad visiting Rabbis as well as with Chabad's permanent rabbi on the island.[4] His brotherHenny Eman was the first Prime Minister of Aruba.[5]