A comprehensive account of the Jewish population of Jamaica and its role in the economic and cultural life of the country. Beginning in the 16th century, the author chronicles the Jews' fight for civil rights and freedoms and the ways in which they played a key role in international commerce.

This is the first comprehensive account of the Jewish population of Jamaica and its role in the economic and cultural life of the country. Beginning in the sixteenth century with the first Jewish settlers who arrived with the Portuguese, Arbell chronicles the Jews' fight for civil rights and freedoms and the ways in which their wide network of family connections enabled them to play a key role in international commerce. The work covers religious, cultural and economic aspects of Jewish settlement in Jamaica. The facts presented in each chapter have been authenticated by research in archives and libraries in the US, England, Jamaica and Israel. Citations from documents unearthed enhance the narrative and provide period authenticity, making the book lively reading. Over twenty illustrations provide a picture of the Caribbean in the periods being reviewed.