Jewish cultural encounters in the province of Limon, Costa Rica

The Israeli Embassy in Costa Rica was proud to take part in the opening event of the “Week of Encounters” in the Costa Rican province of Limon, in the presence of members of the country’s Legislative Assembly, local politicians, including the mayor of Limon, Mr. Nestor Mattis, academic figures, religious leaders, businessmen and the general public.

Limon, also known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and the main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is the home of the Afro-Costa Rican community.

The audience enjoyed the performance of the Jewish-Ladino singer Doris Benmaman, who performed a repertoire of Jewish music in Spanish and Ladino, presenting the connection between the Jewish people and the local language.

Those in attendance also expressed great interest in the presentation by Israeli Ambassador Oren Bar-El, regarding the Ethiopian Jewish Community, which demonstrated the strong relations Israel has with the heritage of Africa.

A presentation of Jewish art and ceramics by artists Ilena Piszk and Ofelia Kellerman accompanied the show. “ I believe that this evening touched the hearts of the people here with music, art and heritage,” said Ambassador Bar-El, at the reception held for local leaders of the community. “I’m proud to have this unique opportunity to expose the magnificent cultural heritage of Beta Israel, the Ethiopian Jewish community, here in Limon, at the heart of the Afro-Caribbean community, and to share the wisdom and devotion as expressed in their calendar of sacred festivities.”