Neveh Shalom Synagogue

Active 19th-century synagogue whose sand-covered floor and mosque neighbour reflect a layered Jewish history

The present Neveh Shalom building dates from the 1840s and serves Suriname's remaining Jewish community. Its interior is known for a floor covered in pale sand, a tradition associated with earlier Caribbean synagogues. The congregation's history brings together Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities rather than fitting a single neat label.

The Keizerstraat Mosque stands directly next door. View both as active places of worship and ask the community about access; doors are not kept open simply for sightseeing.

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A story
Next door to the Neveh Shalom Synagogue stands the Keizerstraat Mosque, and the two congregations have been peaceful neighbours for well over a century. The juxtaposition — a working synagogue and a working mosque sharing a street in a small South American capital — is perhaps the most vivid symbol of Suriname's improbable pluralism.

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