On this day: Barbados gains independence

There is still a synagogue on the island – in fact it is thought to be the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. Originally built in 1654, the Nidhe Israel Synagogue in Bridgetown was renovated and reconsecrated in 1983. A museum dedicated to the history of Barbadian Jews opened two years ago.

While the community is small, there are plenty of traces of Jewish life on the island. Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green is just one of the Jewish holidaymakers known to enjoy the clear turquoise seas, warm temperatures and palm trees of resorts such as the famous Sandy Lane.

What one JC reader wrote in a letter to us: Wandering around the cemetery, we learned there has been a Jewish presence in Barbados for over 300 years. One puzzling thing: engraved on headstones from the 1700s, along with Hebrew and English inscriptions, was the skull-and-crossbones. Could these have been the headstones of former pirates? Do readers know if there were indeed Jewish pirates, even before estate agents and accountants?

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