Anna's Calendar

This talk by Dr. Hilit Surowitz-Israel explores Curaçao's pivotal role at the height of its influence by examining the production and circulation of religious material culture, focusing on the significance of "the gift" within Sephardic communities across the Americas. Curaçao strategically used gifts, especially ritual objects, to shape and guide Jewish ritual and practice throughout the Atlantic World during the early modern period. Through this unidirectional flow of religious materials and personnel, the Mikve Israel congregation of Curaçao not only spread its customs and rituals but also cemented its status as the mother congregation of Jewish communities across colonial America.