Official opening of Synagogue Project

After surviving natural disaster and the threat of demolition, the area now known as Bridgetown’s “Synagogue Block” has been restored and redeveloped thanks to the generosity and dedication of the existing Jewish Community.

Chairman of Bridgetown Synagogue 1654 Management Company, Sir Paul Altman, gave a detailed history of the synagogue block including the first Jewish Settlement in 1627; the destruction and restoration of the synagogue in 1831-1833, the government’s plans to demolish the area and a letter from then Prime Minister Tom Adams who agreed to help save the historic site in 1983.

Sir Paul, whose Jewish ancestors first came to Barbados in 1931 has a personal and spiritual connection to the synagogue block. He collaborated with the Tabor Foundation (Barbados) which have donated over 17 million dollars to the construction of the Jewish Museum and the operational costs and completion of the Synagogue Block project. The block has been redeveloped and restored excluding the synagogue, cemetery and Mitzvah.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Hon. Stephen Lashley, in his speech said that the opening of the synagogue block memorialises groups of people and events that have been accommodated in this section of our Heritage Properties and this should not be lost in the celebration.

“It is therefore the duty of all Barbadians to preserve and care for this restoration project. Let us break the cycle of poor maintenance and the lack of pride in our historic buildings and by extension our City,” said Lashley.

He added that like this project, there were other areas within Bridgetown which are being restored. “As you may be aware, the National Restoration Campaign was launched in January 2015, while not limited to restoration within the City – the City is a priority. The Government is currently undertaking work on Queen’s Park House, which is more than fifty per cent complete, but Government cannot do it all. That is why we are grateful to the Tabor Foundation Barbados) which has made all this possible. From an investor’s perspective, this is the first project to be considered a cultural project and it is therefore benefitting from the incentives offered under the Cultural Industries Development Act,” said Lashley.

Representative of Mr. & Mrs. Tabor, Project Manager and Board Member of Bridgetown 1654 Management Company, Joseph Steinbok gave a report of some of the added features and challenges of the synagogue redevelopment project.

Steinbok explained that the project began on December 7, 2015, and one of their first challenges was to remove a large tree growing inside of the wall of the now restored artisans workshops. Also, demolition occurred on the corner of James Street and Lucas street – once known as the old Telephone Exchange. According to the project manager, this was done successfully and materials, such as old rubble stones, coral stone blocks, and large timbers will be utilised in the walls of the cemetery and have been incorporated into the fire station’s surrounding walls and roof. Also, some of the flooring boards were restored and laid in the artisans’ workshop. Steinbok revealed that several headstones were discovered during excavation and this resulted in a change in design of the area. His team uncovered three head stones with the name Barrow on it and one Quaker grave near the newly created social hall.

In addition to the social hall and the restored synagogue, the fire station has been converted into a museum and there is a new café. With these new buildings, Barbadians and visitors will be able to tour the grounds for a small fee and the social hall and synagogue will be available to host Bar mitzvahs and weddings.

Another important structure created was Codd’s House monument which was constructed to highlight the significance of the area, that was known as one of the first Houses of Parliament. It was there that the Emancipation Bill was proclaimed and the Right Excellent Samuel Jackman Prescod – first person of colour – elected to the House of Assembly entered Parliament on the site in 1843. Steinbok ended by emphasising that the project was not only a part of Jewish history but Barbadian history as well.

“I hope that all Barbadians will take the opportunity to visit the buildings within the block and enjoy the rich history which it contains. I am also imploring everyone to treat the area with respect and the dignity that it deserves and refrain from littering the area,” said Steinbok.