Jodensavanne
Suriname · Para · 20 m
Description
Jodensavanne was a Jewish agricultural settlement founded on a bluff above the Suriname river by Sephardic families who had fled Portugal and Brazil, and for a century it was the only place in the Americas where Jews held land and self-government. The brick synagogue of Beracha ve Shalom went up in 1685 and its walls still stand roofless in the forest. Two cemeteries hold several hundred graves with Hebrew and Portuguese inscriptions. Fire and the collapse of the sugar trade emptied the place, and the jungle took the rest. UNESCO added the site to the World Heritage list in 2023.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: February – April or September – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Ruins of the Beracha ve Shalom synagogue
- Jewish cemeteries and their inscriptions
- Bluff above the Suriname river
- Cassipora cemetery in the forest
- Forest walk between the sites
- Redi Doti and the Lokono village nearby
- Blaka Watra creek pools(Day trip)
- Boat crossing of the Suriname river
- Foundations of the old settlement houses
- Birdlife along the river bluff
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- PBM