Jews can be traced to the early 1800's in Panama. The first Jewish community was established in 1876. The census of 1911, after the construction of the Canal, found 505 declared Jews. The Jewish population increased as a result of immigration before and after World War II. By the mid-1990's, about 7,000 Jews lived in Panama, mostly in Panama City. The Jewish community is highly organized with its own schools and cultural center.
In 1962, Panama issued a series of air mail stamps depicting religious buildings. Among the stamps so issued was a stamp of the Canal Zone Synagogue (Scott# C261) and the Synagogue of Panama (Scott# C262). Below are the stamps and a souvenir sheet (Scott# C264a) which includes the Synagogue of Panama.
Encyclopedia Judaica, CD-Rom Edition, Keter Publishing
Copyright © 1998-99 Edward Victor
