St. Thomas Synagogue - Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

The first synagogue was built in 1803 and burned down in 1804. The present building was dedicated in 1833. It is the oldest synagogue in continuous use under the American flag and the second oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere.

There aresome unique features in the synagogue. Most of the wooden features including the benches, the ark and the bimah are made from mahogany. The menorah dates back to the 11th century and is Spanish in origin. The chandeliers are European and are presumed Dutch.

By far the most unusual feature of the synagogue is the sand floor. There are two theories behind this unusual occurrence. One is to represent the Israelite journey through the desert. Another theory is that it represents the Conversos who were forced to convert to Catholicism. Many continued to observe Judaism, so they usually met in their cellars and would use sand to muffle the sound of their footsteps and prayers.

Sources: Synagogue pamphlet and Wikipedia (visit link)

Wikipedia Url: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To post a visit log to this waymark you need to visit and write about the actual physical location. Any pictures you take at the location would be great, as well.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   10/10/2021 CP590 visited it