ABSTRACT
The comparatively minuscule immigration of Polish Jews in the 1930s led to the formation of a very tightly knit community of several hundred individuals who, by the 1950s, were highly conscious of their shared culture and position in the host society. The solidarity of the community was further reinforced by sporadic outbursts of creole anti-Semitism, by a shared immigrant experience from residence to initial occupation, and perhaps most importantly by common village origin in Poland. These features of Costa Rican Jewry and its historical development are the focus of this chapter. An attempt is made to tie these features of past experience to the contemporary situation and prospects of the local Jewish community. Since the 1950s Costa Rican Jewry has not only escaped direct political attack, it has also witnessed major internal change. Costa Rican Jewry and its prospects appear radically different from the fate genuinely and justifiably feared in the mob-ruled spring of 1948.
