History of the Jews in Nicaragua

History

It is likely that Jews first arrived in Nicaragua during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, as part of a wave of Conversos fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Besides Conversos, one of the first Jewish families to immigrate to Nicaragua were the Oppenheimers, who were originally from France. Nestor Oppenheimer was married to Camila (Camille) Winston Lazard, and they registered the birth of a son, Rene Salomon Oppenheimer, on July 22, 1911 in the capital city of Managua. Other families included Dreyfus, Levy, Raskosky, and Salomon. Another notable family who appears to be of Sephardi Jew descent is the Rios-Montiel and Morales family of Juigalpa. More Jews immigrated to Nicaragua from Eastern Europe after 1929, and they formed the bulk of country's Jewish community during the 20th century. While the majority of these immigrants came to Nicaragua in pursuit of economic opportunities, many of them were either refugees from or survivors of The Holocaust.

Somoza Period

The majority of Nicaraguan Jews lived in Managua, and made significant contributions to Nicaragua's economic development while dedicating themselves to farming, manufacturing, textiles, and retail. Among the many Nicaraguan-Jewish families that ran successful businesses were the Salomon and Dreyfus families, which both operated well-known department stores in Managua during the first half of the 20th century, and the Gorn family, which both operated and still runs Radio Centro, the biggest electronics store in Nicaragua.

Given the small size of the community, many of the Jewish immigrants went on to marry non-Jews, giving rise to Nicaraguan families of partial Jewish ancestry. Despite this, many if not most Nicaraguan Jews were still committed to maintaining Jewish life. The Congregacion Israelita de Nicaragua was the central Jewish organization until 1979. The community maintained a synagogue and social center in Managua, as well as a B'nai B'rith lodge and a Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO) chapter.

It has been estimated that the number of Jews in Nicaragua reached a peak of 250 in 1972. However, that same year a devastating earthquake hit Managua and destroyed 90% of the city, prompting many Nicaraguans to emigrate. In 1975 there were 200 Jews in Nicaragua.

In 1978, during street warfare between Somozistas and Sandinistas, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the Managua synagogue, igniting its wooden doors. When the worshipers emerged from the building they were confronted by a carload of armed men who they recognized as Sandinistas. Mauricio Palacio, a former leftist rebel who became a refugee in the United States after having grown disillusioned with the Sandinistas, gave a signed statement confessing to his part in the 1978 arson attack against the Managua synagogue.

Sandinista Period

During and after the warfare and civil unrest of the 1978-1979 Sandinista Revolution, which culminated in the overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle, thousands of wealthy and middle-class Nicaraguans fled the country, concerned about their future under the incoming socialist regime. The Sandinistas later passed a law empowering the government to seize the property of those who left.

The Sandinistas were perceived as being hostile to the country's Jewish community. This hostility was attributed to a number of factors, including the economic status of Nicaraguan Jews, the opposition of many members of the community to the Sandinista's political platform, the support of some members of the community for the Somoza family, the Sandinista's relationship with the Palestine Liberation Organization, and misdirected blame for Israel's arms sales to the Somoza regime. By the time Somoza fell, the Jewish population had already declined to around 50 individuals. The synagogue in Managua was later seized by the Sandinistas and converted into a government youth center, which was described as being an elite social club for the children of high ranking Sandinista officials. As more Jews fled the country, additional properties of Jewish emigrants were seized in accordance with the relevant law.

Media Controversy

Beginning in 1983, the Reagan administration, which was trying to increase domestic support for the Contras, made an effort to persuade the American people that not only were the Sandinistas anti-Semitic, but that the Nicaraguan government had launched a general assault on the freedom of Catholics, Evangelicals, Miskito Indians, Jews, and other groups. While instances of the Sandinista government restricting the activities of Catholics, Evangelicals, and Miskito Indians are well documented, whether the Sandinistas were antisemitic is a matter of dispute. The Anti-Defamation League supported the Reagan administration's charge of anti-semitism. However, investigations by various groups that were opposed to the Reagan administration's policies in Central America, including the progressive New Jewish Agenda, the American Jewish Committee, as well as an investigation by US Nicaraguan embassy staff, all found that the Sandinistas did not have a policy of anti-semitism, and or that they did not persecute individual Nicaraguan Jews solely because they were Jewish. These reports were disputed by Nicaraguan Jewish exiles, most of whom had not been interviewed, and who corroborated Reagan's charge of anti-Semitism, citing several instances of intimidation, harassment, and arbitrary arrest.

Sandinistas of Jewish Descent

While none of the Sandinistas identified with Judaism or the Jewish community, there were prominent Sandinistas of Jewish descent. Among them were Carlos Tünnerman, minister of education and later ambassador to the U.S.; Herty Lewites, minister of tourism in the 1980s and later mayor of Managua; and his brother Israel Lewites, a Sandinista leader. The Lewites brothers were sons of a Jewish immigrant from Poland and a Nicaraguan mother who raised them in Catholicism.