How did a Moroccan synagogue end up in the heart of the Amazon? You might be surprised to find yourself pondering this question right here in San Juan Bautista, a district of Iquitos. San Juan Bautista sprawls to the south of Iquitos, a city that blossomed during the late 19th-century rubber boom. That boom lured fortune seekers from across the globe, including a community of Sephardic Jews from Morocco. Many of these men, hoping to find their fortune in the rubber trade, married indigenous women and settled permanently in San Juan Bautista and the surrounding area.
They brought their faith with them, establishing a synagogue and a Jewish cemetery here in San Juan Bautista. As the rubber industry faded, many immigrants moved on. Those who remained, including the Jewish community, became woven into the fabric of Iquitos. Over generations, many of their descendants, raised Catholic, lost their connection to Judaism. But their history remained, a testament to the unexpected cultural blend that defines San Juan Bautista and Iquitos.
In the 1990s, a descendant of one of those original Jewish settlers embarked on a journey of rediscovery. He dove into the study of Judaism, reviving the practice within his own family and inspiring others to do the same. With guidance from rabbis in Lima and New York, a revival took root in San Juan Bautista. Hundreds embraced their heritage, studying, converting and ultimately, many even migrating to Israel. Their story, captured in a 2010 documentary, speaks to the enduring power of cultural heritage and the unexpected turns history can take right here in San Juan Bautista.