Introducing Bites of Snoa and the Person Behind Them

I don't remember meeting Ron Gomes Casseres. That's because I can't recall a time in my life when I didn't know him.

Ron, a close friend of my father's, is like a dear uncle to me. I value his input, respect his opinion, and trust in his presence. Our families celebrated many holidays together over the years. That he and I share a passion for the Snoa community, and that it brings us together in new ways, is one of the quiet gifts that this work has given me.

Ron descends from Sephardic Jews who came to Curaçao in 1690. Born on the island, he has been a leader of the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel community for much of his life, active in countless organizations and institutions across Curaçao. Now retired from a long career in commercial banking, he has turned his full attention to something he has always cared about deeply: the history of his community and its practices. He has published in local Curaçao publications and in the journals of the American Jewish Archives and American Jewish History. In recent years he has presented to Jewish groups and congregations across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

In the past few years, Ron has researched and created a rich catalog of short, carefully crafted pieces about different aspects of the Snoa community. They offer surprising details that even insiders don't always know, alongside intimate portraits of traditions, practices, and the people who kept them alive. He has called them, aptly, Snoa Bites.

With his blessing, I am sharing them in Sand & Stone. I hope you find them as compelling as I do.