jewish cemetery

The Jewish cemetery in Charlestown, Nevis is small, only partially preserved but an interesting snippet of Jewish history in the Americas - unfortunately not much of it is told there but if you look on-line it's well documented, including the fact that Alexander Hamilton did his early schooling in the local Jewish school (as a child born out of wedlock he wasn't accepted in the other schools. Worth the short walk from the ferry if you are interested.

Don't travel too far to see this. We stumbled upon it but it is not really an attraction (funny word used in conjunction with a cemetery). not like say Prague or Paris cemeteries, it's very small. Not sure how those buried being 18th century Jewish makes it an attraction.

The history, and importance, of the Jewish settlers in the Caribbean is often overlooked; however, this poignant reminder is a great way of learning more about such. They formed an important part of the commerce classes of these islands during the heyday of the sugar cane trade, when much of the wealth of the British Empire was derived from this tiny speck in the West Indies. The graves appear to be some of the oldest on the island. You will also notice the small stones which are stacked on the graves in a manner of remembrance and respect. As with many historical sites on Nevis, there are no services available, and if you are not used to the heat/humidity, do please come prepared with water.

The Nevis historical society has an informative sign at this plot right in town, off the main street. There are a number of very old graves, not terribly well tended, but I suppose that's not surprising given their age, and the lack of a community to tend them. There are two benches, which we sat on for a while and thought about the history of this wonderful island. Just wish there were some labels repeating what the faded grave inscriptions say.

You will find grave stones from the 1600's written in Portuguese and Hebrew. This cemetery was hidden for years under mounds of bush, however funds were raised and the grass is mowed. It looks very sparse but you will see that it is well visited-as the typical small stones are left on every grave. It is quite walkable from Charlestown center. Visit the Museums or go online to find out about Nevis' once large and active Jewish population, most who emmigrated from Brazil..

You would not expect to find a Jewish cemetery on such a small island but there is. The locals know all about it, down to the stones stacked upon the graves

We found the old Jewish cemetery on Nevis fascinating. There are 19 grave markers that survive, from the late 17th and early 18th century. There are readable inscriptions on 15 of these, with Hebrew, Portuguese, and English text. Some of the grave markers also have symbolic engravings. A little of the cemetery is still overgrown with tropical vines with beautiful flowers. Although the cemetery is small and can be explored in less than an hour, it is well worth visiting.

If you are Jewish, or interested in this sort of history, it is worth a little visit. The cemetery is now well kept - which it wasn't the last time I was there more than 20 years ago. It is close to the centre of town, walkable, so you could just pop in. Read about the history, mentioned in other reviews, about the Jews in Nevis centuries ago.