Passover in a Papaya

Imagine sitting down to a Seder, actually reclining against the backdrop of white sand beaches, balmy tropical weather, waving palm trees and sparkling turquoise waters. You are uplifted with inspiring, timeless yet personally profound and relevant words of Torah. The kids may hide the Afikoman inside a hollow coconut or conch shell. Elijah the Prophet may want to linger in this relaxing tableau.

This dreamy Passover paradise vacation will take place at the Ritz Carlton of San Juan, and can be checked out at www. afikomantours.com. A far cry from old Bubby's brownstone in Brooklyn!

One may think of a Glatt Kosher Passover as an abberation in the Carribean. Beautiful. Calypso. Si Senor. But Shalom?

Si, Senor, there IS a dynamic Jewish presence in the Caribbean Islands, and the tribe actually touched down here 500 years ago. When thinking of Caribbean history, one thinks of the Spanish, the Carib Indians ,the Dutch and the French, sure. Even the United States, which took Cuba and Puerto Rico from Spain. But the Jews?

While there are some holes in the historic records, it seems that Jews have lived and worked in the Caribbean since Columbus' first voyage. Exactly where the Jews lived varied, depending on which government ruled which islands and their laws regarding Jews. For instance, in the Spanish-held islands, Jews couldn't openly live their faith until after the Spanish-American War.

The first known Jew to reach the islands was Columbus' interpreter, Luis de Torres, who spoke Hebrew among other languages. He was hired by the Great Navigator for his first voyage in the belief that he could communicate with the natives of Cathay, the mythical land Columbus had hoped to reach.

But the first natives de Torres actually met were a band of Arawak Indians who greeted him as he waded ashore on the coast of Cuba in October 1492. The copper-skinned natives were inhaling primitive, hand-rolled cigars, which so beguiled de Torres that he abandoned ship, and puffed away a long, happy life as the governor of Cuba, a title bestowed on him for discovering tobacco.

The16th and 17th centuries brought landings by Jews and settlements on other Caribbean islands, but a Jewish presence in San Juan came only at the end of the 19th century. Jewish soldiers were among Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders in his famous charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish American War of 1898.

The semi-tropical climate and the laid-back lifestyle of the Puerto Ricans lured some Jews, among other ex Riders, back to San Juan.

Fleeing refugees from the Nazi inferno and former GIs of World Wars I and II came in the 1940's. They were joined in the Œ50's and 60's by Jews who were fleeing from Castro's Cuba. These groups form the nucleus of today's relatively large and thriving community of over 2,500.

The first Jews arrived in what is now the US Virgin Islands in 1655 from Recife, Suriname, Barbados, Holland and France. The Jewish population of S. Thomas and S. Croix grew after the destruction of the Jewish community in the nearby Dutch island of S. Eustatius in 1781. It was attacked by the British for having aided the American Revolution.

In 1796 the synagogue Berakha v'Shalom u'Gmilut Hassadim in St. Thomas was founded, and exists u

ntil this day. By 1850, half the island's white population of 800 was Jewish. The Danish and American authorities appointed Jews as governors of the islands. Most of the Jews left for Panama with the opening of the Panama Canal, with a low of 50 in 1942. Since then more Jews have arrived from the American mainland.

Today San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, has a larger Jewish population than all the other islands combined. Other Jewish settlements of note include Charlotte Amalie, S. Thomas, with one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere, and Bridgetown, Barbados, where the Altman family almost single handedly restored a 200-year-old synagogue on the verge of collapse and converted it into an outstanding museum of Jewish history.

A San Juan site of note is the Shaare Zedek Synagogue in affluent Santurce, an extraordinary white concrete structure with a tiled sloping roof, designed by Czech architect Antonin Nechodoma, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, designated by the Puerto Rican government as a National Historic Monument.

Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel Zarchi brought the light and joy of Judaism Chabad style to Puerto Rico 4 years ago. Their San Juan center is near the airport and prominent hotels. They serve the local population and help Jewish travelers with minyan, classes, Shabbat and holiday services. Their take-out kosher food service is in demand as only basic brand kosher staples are available in the groceries.

The Zarchis enjoy meeting all kinds of people. "We bring together different Jews from different kinds of backgrounds. They often are delighted, as they never expected to find a Jewish experience in Puerto Rico, " Rabbi Zarchi relates. The couple also travels to support other Jewish communities on the islands, and organize seders and High Holiday services for 40 Jewish medical students at Dominica University and 60 in Granada.

So, what's to do after the Seders are observed and the Festival is celebrated? The Caribbean has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In Puerto Rico one can enjoy secluded, white sand beaches besides the popular, bustling city beaches. The island's long coastline harbors an almost endless selection for the beach connoisseur.

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lcanic island, the geography is unique. Take a rectangular piece of paper, crumple it up, smooth out the edges and you have a rough facsimile of it. A rugged mountain range runs across the center of the island from east to west. The north side is covered by dense vegetation, rain forests, karst formations, caverns, rushing streams and rocky cliffs.

The high central peaks often prevent rain clouds from passing to the south, so the south side is often sun-toasted terrain, home to exotic birds and tropical dry forests. About 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, the island has every tropical landscape in existence is a short trip from wherever you happen to be!

You can drive 40 minutes from San Juan to go canoeing in a rainforest or hiking on one of the steeper trails of El Yunque Rainforest in search of the elusive Puerto Rican parrot. Head one hour west to explore Cathedral Cavern in the Camuy Underground River System, the third largest on the planet. In less than two hours you can be rock climbing in the Toro Negro Forest or hiking the trails of the highest mountain on the island.

If your idea of adventure is less athletic, take a boat on a moonless night out to the Bioluminescent Bay in Vieques, or stroll through the majestic Guajataca Forest, an hour and a half west of San Juan.

Historic sites grace the island, one of the most famous being the El Morro fortress. El Morro, officially known as Fuerte San Felipe del Morro, sits atop a high promontory overlooking the entrance to San Juan Bay. Although the foundations were laid in 1539, the six-level fort was not completed until 1787. The fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site in the U. S. National Park Service.

Try some fresh plantains with your matza and enjoy a unique Passover in this paradise that has Jewish roots and thriving blossoms that are even more beautiful than the abounding orchids.

The Mikve Israel-Emanuel synagogue, Curacao, dedicated 1732