The Jewish Surinamese: "Judaism Chased Me Everywhere, I Couldn't Escape"

Until the age of 13, Benjamin Chong-Alvarez knew he was "Surinamese," but when he moved to the United States, he learned he was Jewish. After a few years, he flew to seek his roots in China. Confused? You probably are not familiar with the Jewish community in Suriname and the significant challenges faced by the Jews there.

Suriname is a small country located in the northern part of South America. In the past, it had a vibrant and wealthy Jewish community, but in recent decades, the community has been declining, partially assimilating, and is rarely heard of. Only the remains of the magnificent synagogue, villages with Jewish names, and a large Jewish cemetery bear witness to the community's glorious past.

(Photo: shutterstock)

Nevertheless, this week Benjamin Chong-Alvarez initiated a special conference at the Israel Museum, where Surinamese Jews living in Israel gathered, and it was officially announced the establishment of the 'Israel-Suriname Friendship Association', which he has been promoting for the past few years.

"I am familiar with the assimilating community, I see how difficult it is to obtain kosher food there, and even there is no possibility of kosher slaughter, and I felt that I must not sit idly by," he explains. "So I turned to a lawyer and established the Israel-Suriname Association."

Seeking Judaism

Benjamin Chong-Alvarez is a Jew of Chinese and Portuguese descent, and when he talks about his strong desire to help the Jews of Suriname, he unequivocally ties it to his tumultuous life story: "Even as a child, I was told about my Judaism, but immediately afterward, the following sentence would come: 'You are also Chinese and a bit African and a bit Jewish, but you do not really belong anywhere, you are Surinamese.' So I grew up without a real identity."

Later, Benjamin happened to move with his family to the United States, where he attended high school and began questioning the things he had always been told. "The American friends were not satisfied with the fact that I was born in Suriname; they wanted to know what nationality I belonged to, and then I began to understand that maybe my Judaism has a greater meaning than I thought," he explains.

(Photo: Zohar Shemesh)

The friends did not leave him alone. They noticed the Star of David necklace around his neck, which he received from his grandmother, and repeatedly asked him: "Are you Jewish?" And when he answered affirmatively, they wondered: “Then why do you speak Spanish and Portuguese?” At this stage, he felt really confused and was eager to research and understand more about the Jewish nation he belonged to.

The first opportunity to do so came two years later when Benjamin started university and met a group of Israelis. "As soon as they heard I was Jewish, they invited me to celebrate the holidays with them and also taught me the song ‘Havenu Shalom Aleichem’ – the first song I learned in Hebrew," he says. However, Benjamin quickly realized that these students, although Israeli Jews, were not truly close to the religion. He tried to connect with another group of Israelis, but they too were not really connected to their origins. Exactly during those days, he finished his studies and decided to explore his Chinese origin.

“When I reached China, I encountered a Jewish community there,” he recalls, “and so instead of strengthening my Chinese side, I continued to reflect on the Jews and ask myself questions about Judaism. I continued to Thailand, and there too, by divine providence, I met a group of Israelis, and I traveled with them. I felt that there was a higher power ensuring that I was in the company of Israelis all the time. I could not escape it; it was stronger than me."

The Spanish synagogue of the Jewish Surinamese (Photo: Willy Lindwer)

Already during those days, Benjamin had a dream to visit Israel, but several years passed before he did, and the visit quickly became a permanent stay. “I made Aliyah to Israel 22 years ago,” he says, “I lived for a period in a kibbutz and then in Tel Aviv, where I joined a community of young people returning to Judaism and also participated in Torah lessons. Then they explained to me that I needed to undergo a conversion procedure for stringency, and for nine months, I went through the process designed for this.”

Shortly after, Benjamin married his wife, who also returned to Judaism, and today they are happily married, living in Hashmonaim and raising their five children.

The Aspiration: Bridging Hearts

"I was fortunate to embrace Judaism," says Benjamin, "but in Suriname, there are about 150 Jewish families, most of whom do not have a real connection to Judaism. The few families that were truly close to the religion sent their children to study outside of Suriname, and the children never returned, but continued to live in Jewish communities around the world. Today there are many Surinamese with Jewish roots, they are not Jewish according to Halacha, but among them, there are those who show interest and want to convert. On the other hand, there is also a significant group of Jews who are unaware of their Judaism, but if someone finds them, they will truly save souls."

Do you think the association you established will help with that?

"I am sure it will. The purpose of the association is to allow a connection between Suriname and Israel, in a way that will let Surinamese Jews come to Israel for studies at a yeshiva or any other need. I am sure this will bring a significant closeness in the community, as there is currently almost no information about Judaism in Suriname, and the Jewish community is mainly connected to the Reform community worldwide. It has created a situation where the community does not even have the opportunity to learn. Additionally, I am sure that Israel will be able to help Suriname a lot and also benefit from it since, in the end, it is always good for Israel to have more countries that support it in the world."

And how did the Israeli and Surinamese governments react to the association you founded?

"In Israel, I was in contact with senior officials at the Foreign Ministry, and they supported and encouraged it greatly. In Suriname, it was more difficult. At first, the government didn't really cooperate, and the Jewish community wasn't open to it either. They mainly feared that I, an Orthodox Jew, would come to convert the residents. Thankfully, I have a cousin who belongs to the Jewish community there, and through him, I made contact with people interested in learning about Judaism and wanting to come closer. I contacted them and intrigued them, which encouraged me more and more. With Hashem's help, the process concluded, and we recently announced the establishment of the association and joint ties between the countries."

The association is established, but one can assume that your work is just beginning...

"Certainly, I intend to invest all my energy to bring the Jews of Suriname closer. One of the most important things I want to promote is bringing a shochet to Suriname who can ensure kosher slaughter, which is currently not possible there at all, and I personally know of Jews buying 'halal' meat out of a mistaken belief that it is slaughtered properly. Perhaps we will also succeed in flying emissaries there, who will live with the community and accompany it closely.

"Of course, I also aspire to assist Surinamese who decide to come to Israel. I have very warm connections with organizations, yeshivas, and even universities. I also know various places and organizations that can help, and it is clear to me that every Surinamese Jew who comes to Israel will receive full attention and support. This is exactly my goal."