A structure of coral stone, sand and mahogany
Built out of devotion for the glory of god
A bastion to some
Or maybe just a reminder
The eternal spirituality of the few remaining faithful
The floors are laid with sand
As it if they still dwell in the deserts of the god’s land
The women’s pews in the balconies
Entered from staircases on the outside
Forbidden to have their feet touch the sandy floor
The men sat on exquisite mahogany benches running along the sides
With the bema carved out of more mahogany on one end
The torah on the other
Two towering structures encircled by the congregants
Who are now the dying few
Surviving descendents of the inquisition, pogroms
And a holocaust
With subtle reminders that they are the lucky ones
Declaring their faith unashamedly
With pride

Mikvé Israel Emmanuel in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
Home of the oldest continuously operating Jewish congregation in the Western Hemisphere
In existence since 1651.