TheIsthmus of Panama sits at the crossroads of the Americas and is home to itsworld-famous Canal is one of the busiest trading routes in the world. Unknown to many, Panama is also home to a thriving Jewish Community dating backover a century. It is perhaps the only country other than Israel to have hadtwo Jewish presidents in the XX Century. Its Jewish Community has existedopenly only since the end of Spanish colonial rule in the 1820s. Home to morethan 10,000 Jews, it is the largest continuously existing Jewish Community inCentral America and the Caribbean. Its members are mostly of Middle Eastern,Ashkenazi and Spanish-Portuguese origins. Most Panamanian Jews can beconsidered Orthodox.  A majority of the children attend Jewish DaySchools.  It also has one of the highest concentrations of kosherrestaurants in the world.  The Panamanian Jewish community has seenconsistent demographic growth due to recent arrival of Jews from otherLatin-American countries fleeing political and economic instability. Mypresentation will give a historical, demographic, social, gastronomic, andspiritual visit to this small but outstanding community.

DavidM. Mizrachi Fidanque was born in Panama, Republic of Panamainto a loving family of longtime Jewish Community and pro-Israel activists,particularly in the fields of education, culture and social services. Hegraduated from Instituto Alberto Einstein, Panama’s oldest Jewish DaySchool.  During high school, he served on the board of the Macabi YouthMovement of Panama and was awarded the B’nai B’rith Best Young Leader Medal athis graduation.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University ofPennsylvania, a Juris Doctor degree from Tulane University Law School and anExecutive Master of Law (ELLM) degree from Columbia University LawSchool and is a Senior Fellow of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Businessand Government at the Harvard Kennedy School of Harvard University.  Davidhas served as President of Panama’s Central Jewish Community Council, of B’naiB’rith Irving Zapp of Panama and of Panama’s Anti-Defamation Commission. He was awarded the Community Service Award by the American Jewish Committee,the Lifetime Jewish Leadership Award of B’nai B’rith Panama and the Label KatzAward of B’nai B’rith International. He has been a member of the Board ofGovernors of B’nai B’rith International and is a Nahum Goldmann Fellow of theMemorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.  David is also a writer andcollege educator. He is married to Caroline (née Pitchon).  They havethree children and a son in law, all of whom have also been involved in Jewishcommunal life and pro-Israel activism, as well as two lovely grandchildren.They are his pride and joy.