I have been attempting to come up with a PhD idea, having gone through a few that cannot work for a variety of reasons. More recently however I might have found something but I am very unsure as to how possible it actually as and if it is maybe a bit too ambitious, alongside whether it will perceived to be worthwhile/relevant.
It would comprise a recording and analysis of active synagogues and Jewish cemeteries across a range of Caribbean Islands that have not been studied before. The objective would be to provide a complete and comprehensive record regarding the presence of the Jewish people in the Caribbean Islands, as evidenced by the material and literary evidence. Archaeologically speaking, there have been studies done, both full and partial, at St Kitts and Nevis, Curacao, Saint Eustatius and Jamaica, amongst others, and the results of these would feature alongside my own data. A cross examination of the various communities to establish the extent to which they differ in their practices and style alongside whether a distinct 'Caribbean Jewry' can be defined, will also feature. Given the low numbers of active Jews in the ongoing communities (some have disappeared all together, hence the past investigations mentioned earlier), due to assimilation and immigration, the recording of the evidence for an uncertain future, I feel, is a strong rational for this study.
The synagogues across the islands range from the 17th to the 20th century in their origins, some having been built on the site of older ones. The cemeteries tend to be universally colonial in nature, having at least one grave from the 17th century, some even from the 16th. There are 11 islands today with active 'unrecorded' communities, 2 islands with partially studied cases and 4 which have vanished communities and have been investigated. There have been a range of historical works written on the subject of Caribbean Jewry, which generally cover the islands and the South American Caribbean coastlines. Archaeologically however, there has been one PhD (and later publication) on the vanished community at St Kitts, looking into a synagogue, cemetery and school. Other archaeological projects have been in the form of partial/complete synagogue excavations and cemetery surveys at Jamaica, Curacao, Haiti and Sint Eustatius.
Practically and probably relevance issues aside, I can imagine this would also be a funding nightmare (given the various islands to visit and the equipment to record and the fact some islands have more than one synagogue). Many of you will probably read this and think ''what is this boy thinking''/i must be very intoxicated but I thought it was worth a shot and I have been in contact with a lecturer about other topics, but wanted to air this out somewhere else in case it was maybe too stupid/i would embarrass myself ha
I would be grateful for any thoughts and/or ways it can perhaps become more realistic, if at all.
