New Caledonia

Noumea is the home of a majority of New Caledonia’s Jewish community that was started in 1987.  50 Sephardic settlers from France make up this fairly new community as well as a number of Jews from Tunisia and Algeria.  A majority of the Jews are employed either by the state administration or commercial businesses. Noumea has one synagogue and the Association Culturelle Israelite de Nouvelle Caledoine, is the only Jewish community center. Australia is their main place where they importer kosher food from.

I was there in 1998 for three weeks over the High Holiday period. It was an incredible experience, and I’ll post the story soon. I’m not sure what is going on with the Jewish community since then. It was pre email days and I’ve lost contact with the people there. Perhaps I’ll get back there some day.

If anyone is serious about going to New Claledonia please contact me and I can see what information I can find out.

Here is a link to the story about my High Holy Day Experience in New Caledonia

October 2012 update: A Few updates which I am adding after speaking to a Chabad boy who was just in New Caledonia for the High Holydays.

1. They have build the Synagogue. They daven nusach Sefarad, and there is a michitze.

1. The community orders Kosher meat before Rosh Hashana and sells it in a shop in the Synagogue. Meat is basically available until it runs out and then they order again for Pesach. They sell some other kosher products in the shop.

I hope to have more details soon.