User:Jondel/Jews in the Philippines

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From Al andaluz

Jews in the Philippines

Hi Jondel. I just read the message you left on my talk page. Yes, there was a mention of Jews in the Philippines in the Demographics of the Philippines article, but the entry was removed - along with other entries that cluttered the article with "statistics" of no demographic importance for a country with a population of 88 million people. But anyway, let's see if I can help.

The population of Jews in the Philippines today is at the very most 500 people. Estimates range between 100 and 500 people (0.000001% and 0.000005%). Manila boasts the largest Jewish community, though even here it consists of around 40 families, give or take a few. There are of course other Jews elsewhere in the country, but these are obviously fewer and almost all transients (diplomats or business envoys).

It is worth mentioning, however, that at their height, Jews living in the Philippines at one stage numbered around 10,000. The period in which most of these Jews arrived was under president Manuel L. Quezon, when he allowed them entry as persecution in Europe increased - which as we know, eventually lead to the Jewish Holocaust. Most of these, however, were also merely in transit. A good book on this specific topic is "Escape to Manila: From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror". It narrates the story of the newly arrived Jews in the Philippines; from their day of their arrival, their daily life in Manila, to their departure to other destinations a decade later.

As you probably gather so far, almost the entire population of Jews in the Philippines were of Northern and Eastern European origin (Ashkenazim). Whatever number of Sephardim (Spanish Jews) there presently is in the Philippines is as a result of post-19th century arrivals from Morocco or Turkey. When the Sephardim fled from Spain in 1492 during the Inquisition, most fled to the areas that would become modern-day Morocco and Turkey, Portugal (that is, until the inquisition followed them there), the Netherlands and throughout the Americas.

Contrary to speculation, there is no historical evidence whatsoever to suggest any Sephardi made his/her/their way directly from Spain - or any of those who had fled to Hispanic America, or for this argument, specifically Mexico - to the Philippines on the Galleons during the Spanish Inquisition. In fact, the hypothesis is almost fictional. For those who had made it to any of the Spanish colonies in the Americas - anywhere from the modern Southwestern United States all the way down to Patagonia - once the inquisition reached them there (ie. those who weren't already tried and burnt at the stake by the franchise offices of the Inquisition in Spain's American colonies) most simply merged into their surrounding populations and eventually lost all connection with Judaism. The pockets of crypto-Jews around Latin America are the exception. In any case, they did not then migrate to the Philippines. Any migration that took place was from there to the Dutch posetions of Curaçao, Aruba, and New Amsterdam (modern-day New York, where they built the United States's first synagogue, and were that country's first Jews; preceeding the Ashkenazim.)

Getting back on track... The one and only synagogue in the country - the second ever built in the Philippines - is Manila's Beth Yaakov Synagogue. It was built in the 1980's. The only other synagogue which existed prior to the erection of Beth Yakoov was Temple Emil (built in the 1920's). Unfortunately, Temple Emil was destroyed by the Japanese during WWII.

Proper

The population of Jews in the Philippines as of 2005 is at the very most 500 people. Estimates range between 100 and 500 people (0.000001% and 0.000005%). Manila boasts the largest Jewish community, though even here it consists of around 40 families, give or take a few. There are of course other Jews elsewhere in the country, but these are obviously fewer and almost all transients (diplomats or business envoys).

At their height, Jews living in the Philippines at one stage numbered around 10,000. The period in which most of these Jews arrived was under president Manuel L. Quezon, when he allowed them entry as persecution in Europe increased which, eventually lead to the Jewish Holocaust.

Almost the entire population of Jews in the Philippines were of Northern and Eastern European origin (Ashkenazim).

The one and only synagogue in the country - the second ever built in the Philippines - is Manila's Beth Yaakov Synagogue at 110 HV De la Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati (+632-8150265). The only other synagogue which existed prior to the erection of Beth Yakoov was Temple Emil (built in the 1920's). Unfortunately, Temple Emil was destroyed by the Japanese during WWII.

References

"Escape to Manila: From Nazi Tyranny to Japanese Terror". Narrates the story of the newly arrived Jews in the Philippines; from their day of their arrival, their daily life in Manila, to their departure to other destinations a decade later.