Mauritius

Information

Demography

There are 200-250 Jews living in Mauritius, 100 of whom are affiliated. A large percentage of the community is made up of expatriate Canadians, French and South Africans.

History

Jews first arrived on the island of Mauritius in 1940 when they were denied entry into Palestine. They were detained in prison until the end of WW2. To watch a short video about this, click : https---youtu.be-CB7nAOwftX4-si=envNmpgFQxRLwKqC.url 

After the war, most then emigrated to Israel.

Community Life

There is one synagogue, the Amicale Maurice Israel Centre and a Jewish cemetery, The Saint Martin Cemetery.

The synagogue holds monthly Shabbat services as well as on the High Holidays.

In the year 2000, Mauritius celebrated its first barmitzvah since WW2.

Affiliations

African Jewish Congress

Commonwealth Jewish Council

World Jewish Congress