Moses Cohen DeLara

Plantation owner Moses Cohen DeLara served as spiritual leader of the Kingston Jewish community from 1713 until his death. The Jamaican Jewish community was established after the English conquered the island in 1655, although New Christians of Spanish origin had lived there long before. By 1720, the community had grown substantially. Most of the Jews made a living from plantations or as merchants (trading in gold, sugar, and vanilla). Following the death of the community’s first ḥakham (who arrived from Amsterdam) in 1683, members of the community, called “reverends” or “readers,” directed the community’s religious life and fulfilled other necessary functions. DeLara, who may have been related to the rabbinic family of the same name with branches in Hamburg and Amsterdam, was known as “Reverend ḥakham” and is referred to in the will of another community member as a “reader.” By the time of his death, DeLara, who married and had six children, owned at least thirty-five slaves.