Were There Really Jewish Pirates?
“Piracy is defined as an act of robbery or criminal violence by men on a ship or boat who attack another ship or coastal area with the goal of stealing a cargo or other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, and the ships they use to perpetrate their attacks are referred to as pirate ships. The era of piracy began in the 1500s and ended around the 1830s. The pirates’ most successful period extended from the 1660s to about 1730. Jews allegedly made their greatest impact during this era.”
– Robert Rockaway, The Dread Jewish Pirate Jean Lafitte – Tablet Magazine
Josephus Flavius, a 1st century Jewish historian, mentioned Jewish pirates 2,000 years ago.
“They also built themselves a great many piratical ships, and turned pirates upon the seas near to Syria, and Phoenicia, and Egypt, and made those seas unnavigable to all men”
– The wars of the Jews book 3, as quoted in Jewish Pirates of the Mediterranean – Kankan Online
A Few Jewish Pirates
- Sinan Reis was an Ottoman Pirate (from Turkey), who was also known by his nickname, “The Great Jew.” He joined Muslim pirates who attacked Christian ships. A skilled pirate, he rose up through the ranks of power and even captained his own ship. In 1539, he suffered a personal attack when his son, who was with him on a journey, was captured and forced to become baptized. Though he tried to rescue him on numerous attempts, he was not successful. He was seen by the Jews as a Jewish hero during tumultuous times of oppression. To the Ottomans he was seen as a successful commander.
- Simon Pallache was inspired by Sinai Reis and was known by his nickname as “Rabbi Pirate.” He hailed from Morocco around the 1600’s. His nickname was aptly earned by his commitment to Jewish practice. It is said that he employed a Jewish chef on his ships so that he could follow the laws of Kashrut.
- Many of the most infamous Jewish pirates were in Jamaica. Jews have been in Jamaica since 1655 when Britain took over and welcomed immigrants from the Spanish Inquisition.
- Many of those who fled from Spain and settled in Jamaica were part of the “Conversos”; those who were forced to convert during Queen Isabella’s reign.
- Moses Cohen Henriques was another Caribbean pirate, who came from a Converso family and is heralded as pulling off a 1-billion-dollar heist (amount converted to currency today) on a Spanish ship. Fun fact, the namesake for Captain Morgan’s Rum (Henry Morgan) became Lt Gov. of Jamaica and pardoned him. He lived out the rest of his time in Jamaica and helped to establish the Jewish community there.
- Jean Lafitte was born in France (1780-1823). He first ran a business selling smuggled goods but ultimately turned to piracy. Another pirate with family members who were Conversos, Lafitte, who enjoyed gambling, drinking and women, was recognized as being heroic during the Battle of New Orleans against the British. In recognition of his help to Andrew Jackson during the battle, President Madison gave him a pardon. There have been hand-written notes found from Lafitte talking about his Jewish relatives.
- Based on stories and writing documenting their connections to their Jewish families, their Jewish practices on the ships, contributions to Jewish communities, and helping f ight against the Spanish, it appears as though the Jewish pirates were not shy about their Jewish identities.
What is ultimately clear is that Jewish pirates did not hide their origins and had no problem expressing their Jewish identity. They were proud of what they did. They named the ships they captained after biblical characters such as “The Queen Esther,” “The Prophet Samuel,” and “The Shield of Abraham.” The fact that ships from Spain, a kingdom that had committed unspeakable crimes against their ancestors, were such bountiful targets clearly provided extra motivation for their deeds.
– The Dread Jewish Pirate Jean Lafitte – Tablet Magazine