Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean

Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom - and Revenge by Edward Kritzler is the history of the Jewish men who traveled with explorers from Europe in the hopes of finding a land where their people could be safe and free.

In the fifteenth century, many Jews fled Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, others become Conversos. At the time, it was not safe for Jews anywhere in Europe - where they were scattered after being expelled from the land of what is now Israel with the destruction of the Second Temple. There were restrictions on where they could live, the type of jobs they could hold (which were often in commerce as the Christians of the time felt the fields were below them), and with whom they could interact. This was true all over Western Europe, creating a kind of loose alliance of people who knew they were the only ones who would look out for each other.

With the explorers of the new world, each ship had a Jewish man aboard - both doing his job and hoping to discover a land where he could move his family to safety.

During this time, the first country to openly welcome Jewish people, Holland, let to the oldest Jewish community in Europe, in Amsterdam. Rabbi Samuel Palanche ran the community as well as being an explorer and pirate who participated in many raids against the Spanish and visits to North and South America.

This book includes great tales of part of Jewish history few know about. Including in places like Jamaica, Barbados, Brazil, and the southern United States. Even the famous savior of New Orleans Lafayette is included. If you are interested in history or pirates, this is a must read.

Kritzler, Edward. (2008). Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean. New York: Anchor Books.