Jews in Hawaii
The archives of the University of Hawaii, the records of the Jewish Welfare Board
and Temple Emanu-el, at Honolulu on the island of Oahu, reveal some history of Jews
in Hawaii. There were Jews among the traders and merchants who came to Hawaii in
the last half of the 19th century. They came to establish businesses to supply goods
and equipment to the growing sugar cane and pineapple plantations, and to the livestock
industry. Few of these Jews settled permanently in the islands.
In 1901 a group of about 40 residents established the first congregation. The Hebrew
Congregation of Hawaii was short-lived and disbanded after only six years.
After World War I, a Jewish Welfare Board center was established in a private home.
This center flourished and in 1938 a Jewish Community Center was founded by about
35 families of the Honolulu Jewish Community that later served as Honolulu’s first
permanent synagogue. The group later formed Temple Emanu-el.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 Jews are permanent residents of Hawaii. Slightly
more than half live in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu. The remainder is spread
among 5 of the 6 remaining inhabited islands. Maui has the second largest Jewish
community and most of the others live on the island of Hawaii.