Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas

Certainly worth the visit to see the 2nd oldest Synagogue in the hemisphere. Sand floors are amazing. Only about 2 blocks off the beat and path of the main shops. Free to go in and take photos. Even if you not Jewish it's worth the trip if you appreciate such things.

Pretty awesome place. The second oldest Synagogue in the western hemisphere! The Synagogue floor is covered with sand. You'd think it's because the of the tropical location but actually it's just to make the service quite. The guide your is amazing. They are open for tourists again since the October 2020. Must see.

My family and I went here on a vacation a while back, and it was so beautiful. The architecture is just magnificent, and the sand floor was such a beautiful touch. I remember also seeing an iguana, and it was extravagant. I definitely recommend visiting this place because it was such a wonderful experience for me and my family.

Pretty cool synagogue. We had a private tour that lasted about 20 minutes. It was free and informative. Worth the quick trip to see it.

One of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere. Definitely worth a visit. There is no admission fee, but they do accept donations.

What a beautiful synagogue!! It was worth the trip up the steep hill. We went in because we were hot and tired and this was one of the few places on our self-guided historic walking tour that allowed you to go in. Inside we found a beautiful facility filled with so much history. There's a museum with lots of information and photos that tell the synagogue's story. The rabbi was there and actually greeted us and answered questions. The sand floor and why it has a sand floor was fascinating information. We stayed for quite awhile to take it all in.

Step back in time, not only when the chosen people were being persecuted by the nazies, but even further back as a surging nation gathering to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I talked to the warden in my visit right after it opened at 9:30 am (on Dec. 27, 2023). The formal tour requires a minimum of 4 when there was only me. So, I was not really given a formal tour though the nice warden talked with me quite a bit on and off. But it seemed to me that he was worried about the security of the Congregation, presumably due to what had happened in Israel and Gaza. He told me quite a few things. When I asked him whether the sand on the floor was really symbolic for the Exodus of Egypt, he said that there might be 5 stories which are all true, including the fact that the sand wouldn't create much noise when the fishermen stepped in with their heavy boots 😀

What a beautiful synagogue!! It was worth the trip up the steep hill. We went in because we were hot and tired and this was one of the few places on our self-guided historic walking tour that allowed you to go in. Inside we found a beautiful facility filled with so much history. There's a museum with lots of information and photos that tell the synagogue's story. The rabbi was there and actually greeted us and answered questions. The sand floor and why it has a sand floor was fascinating information. We stayed for quite awhile to take it all in.

OK, I have a soft spot for the synagogue, seeing how we were married here 10 years ago. My (now) wife, her daughter and my mom cruised to the island, spent the day getting married and seeing the sights, and then back to the ship. That day was crazy (I won't get into it), but the rabbi at the time made us welcome and had a smooth ceremony. We came back 10 years later for our anniversary and wanted to visit the synagogue again. It is a lovely but small synagogue. The actually building is not the original dating back to the 1600s, but it is quite old. There is a sand floor, probably a tradition that was carried forward from Jews on hiding during the Inquisition to muffle the sounds of footsteps. Coming back, we got to look around and picked up a few things from the gift shop.

Our tour guy was very informative and an Expert in Her field. She knew everything about the history of the Sephardic Jews, the scrolls, To the decorations and the meaning of the sand in the temple; The building was in beautiful shape and I could not believe how well preserved the scrolls were. It was a fun time for me and the kids especially in the gift shop.

St. Thomas Synagogue is an historic landmark synagogue on Crystal Gade, Queens Quarters in Charlotte Amalie. The formal name of the synagogue is Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim. It was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1997. The architecture is beautiful. Everyone is welcomed to visit there. The woman let us in through the locked gates and gave us a wonderful and brief history of the synagogue. You can also tour the archives in the back of the synagogue. Since the synagogue is a living museum, you can support them by leaving a donation in the tzedakah box in the archives area in the back.

Beautiful shul and great people! Enjoyed the tour and learning about the rich history of Jews in St. Thomas.

If you are Jewish, or even if you are not, this is a must visit on your trip. It is such a moving experience to stand in this building. Oldest Synagogue in north America. Beautiful sand on the floor, old wooden pews, and a Torah which was saved from Holocaust Germany. There is an old man who was born in New York, moved to Miami, and after his wife passed and has been living on the island for the last 20 years. There is a small gift shop with some beautiful items for sale