• Map of Martinique with Star of David

    Martinique and Judaism

    The history of Jews in Martinique can be perceived as a sensitive subject in the current international context. However, taking an interest in the history of different communities allows us to better understand our neighbors. It is not a continuous history: Jews came, lived in Martinique, then left, while others arrived. Today, the Jewish community includes many local converts, and it is difficult to distinguish who is Jewish in Martinique.

    14 minutes

How are they perceived?

Jews are perceived differently depending on whom you speak to in Martinique. If you’re speaking with someone from the island’s intellectual circles, their impressions will differ from those of the “average Martiniquais.” For many, there is no distinction between Jews from North Africa and earlier immigrants of Syrian or Lebanese origin. Even the kippah, the Jewish skullcap sometimes worn, does not serve as a clear identifier

In the 1970s, the actions of certain questionable individuals significantly tarnished the community’s image. Some took advantage of locals’ naivety, selling them expensive household appliances even though many did not yet have electricity. Among them were the Zemmour brothers, Algerian Jews who committed numerous rackets and mafia-style exploits, leaving a lasting impression on the population.

However, for many Martiniquais, the image of the Jew is primarily shaped by the New Testament—seen as a resident of Palestine during the time of Jesus. Aimé Césaire even once declared:

Jesus Christ was Palestinian, wasn't he? What is the difference between a Palestinian and a Jew?

He was one of the first to integrate Jews into Creole society in his epic poem Cahier d'un retour au pays natal (Notebook of a Return to the Native Land) in 1947, in which he states:

The man-famine, the man-insult, the man-torture, at any moment
one could seize him, beat him to death, kill him —
perfectly kill him—without having to answer to anyone,
without having to apologize to anyone,
a man-Jew,
a man-pogrom,
a puppy,
a beggar.

In 1998, Césaire himself declared:

The Negro is also the Jew, the foreigner, the Native American, the illiterate, the untouchable, the one who is different... in short, the one who, by his very existence, is threatened, excluded, marginalized, sacrificed.

To get in touch with the Jewish community in Martinique, visit the website: http://www.chabad.org.

Address of the synagogue in Martinique: 2, Rue De L'École Hotelière, 97233 Schœlcher

Bibliography:

“Dissent in the West Indies (1940-1943),” Eric T. Jennings