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The Jodensavanna is a 17th century autonomous Jewish settlement in Suriname. The Jewish immigrants started coming in to Suriname in the early periods of the 17th century, and gradually a settlement came into being. It is located in the Para district, at a distance of about 50 kilometers from the capital of Suriname, Paramaribo.
Jewish settlers started coming in to Suriname during the year 1639, from parts of Europe, mainly Portugal and the adjoining countries. They started to settled along the banks of the Suriname river. Further groups of Jewish people continued to come in to Suriname, and gradually a community started to take shape.
The Jewish community at Jodensavanna slowly became a close knit group. Workers from the Jodensavanna community worked in the nearby sugar cane plantations, and the settlement acquired internal autonomy, and the first wooden synagogue was built, to be followed by another some years later, built from imported brick.
The Jodensavanna settlement flourished for a time, and then members of the community started moving to Paramaribo. Gradually a sizable number of the Jewish community moved to Paramaribo, and although the settlement at Jodensavanna tried to survive, it was destroyed by a slave revolt in later years.
Jodensavanna is now a heritage site and one of tourist interest. The brick synagogue, a grand structure, is a good place to see. There is also a well maintained Jewish graveyard, which has a number of graves from the 17th century to the 19th century, which is a place worth visiting.
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