History of the Jews in Indonesia

Jewish Indonesian are Indonesians of Jewish descent or religion who maintain a connection to the Jewish community, either through actively practising Judaism or through cultural and historical affiliation.

Indonesia contains a very small Jewish community, which consists mostly of Sephardi Jews.

History

In the 1850s, Jewish traveller Jacob Saphir was the first to write about the Jewish Community in the Dutch East Indies, after visiting Batavia. In Batavia, he had spoken with a local Jew, who had told him of about 20 Jewish families in the city; and several more in Surabaya and Semarang. Most of the Jews living in the Dutch East Indies in the 19th Century were Dutch Jews, who worked as merchants or were affiliated with the colonial regime. However, some members of the Jewish community were immigrants from Iraq or Aden.

Between the World Wars, the number of Jews in the Dutch East Indies was estimated at 2,000 by a Zionist emissary, Israel Cohen. Indonesian Jews have suffered greatly under the Japanese Occupation of Indonesia, were interned and forced to work in the camps. After the war, the released Jews have found themselves in many cases without their previous property, and many have emigrated to the United States, Australia or Israel.

By the late 1960s, it has been estimated that there are 20 Jews living in Jakarta and 25 more living in Surabaya.

Today, the number of Jews in Indonesia is estimated at about 20[1].

Population

The total Jewish population of Indonesia according to the World Jewish Congress is estimated at 20.

Assimilation and population changes

The same social and cultural characteristics of the Indonesia that facilitated the extraordinary economic, political, and social success of the Indonesian Jewish community have also contributed to assimilation; all Jews approve of intermarriage and creating a new Jewish community.

Intermarriage rates have risen from roughly 55% in 1944 to approximately 90%-99% in the year 2004. Intermarried couples raise their children with a local religious upbringing. However, it is much more common for intermarried families to raise their children as Indonesian.

For identity, the government issues ID cards called KTP (Kartu Tanda Penduduk.) Every citizen must carry a KTP card over the age of 17. Listed on the identity card is the holder's religion. Indonesia only recognizes 5 religions: Islam, Christian, Catholic, Buddhism, Hindu, and Confucius. Judaism and other religions are not recognized by the Indonesian government. When someone is married they must register their religion for a marriage license. Interfaith marriage is also illegal in Indonesia. It is popular for an interfaith couple to leave the country and fly to a foreign country to get married. Upon returning they will register their foreign marriage certificate with the Indonesian government.

See also

• Jew
• List of Asian Jews
• Secular Jewish culture
• Model minority - Highly successful minority ethnic groups