History of the Jews in Fiji

Descriptions of Fiji's Jewish population vary by source and date. The Jewish Virtual Library estimates approximately 60 Jews and says nearly all live in Suva.[2] A 2022 U.S. religious-freedom report instead referred to small Jewish communities throughout the country.[6] U.S. human-rights reports from 2018 and 2024 described a small community composed primarily of foreign residents, and both reported no antisemitic acts or incidents.[3][4] In June 2026, JNS reported that Fiji had no permanent Jewish community.[5] These descriptions may reflect the mobility of foreign residents and differing definitions of permanent communal membership, but the sources do not resolve the discrepancy.

Historical figures are similarly uneven. A 1997–1998 academic survey gave Fiji a Jewish population of more than 100 for 1996 and named the Fiji Jewish Association as its central organization.[7] By contrast, the U.S. State Department's 2007 report stated that there was "no known Jewish community" in Fiji.[8] The available sources do not establish whether these differences represent demographic change, limited visibility, or changes in reporting methods.

The documented beginning of Jewish settlement in Fiji dates to 1881, when Henry Marks arrived from Australia at age 20.[1][2] He established what became one of the most extensive commercial enterprises in the Western Pacific. Marks was later joined by Jews from India, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia, broadening what had begun as an individual commercial venture into a small and diverse presence.[1][2]

Early twentieth-century records provide limited evidence of Fiji-linked participation in organized Jewish networks. The Anglo-Jewish Association's 1909–1910 annual report lists "Lazarus, Hon S., M.L.C., Suva, Fiji" as a subscriber through its Auckland Branch, with a contribution of £1 1s. 0d.; its 1912–1913 report again lists "The Hon. S. Lazarus, M.L.C." at Suva.[9][10] Jewish inscriptions have also been identified at a private cemetery in Momi, a cemetery on Ovalau Island at Levuka, and Suva's old cemetery. The inscriptions date to the period beginning with the first Jewish settlers in the nineteenth century.[2]

Community profiles describe little organized Jewish activity before the establishment of the Fiji Jewish Association, although they do not provide a founding date.[1][2] A 1997–1998 survey identified the association as Fiji's central Jewish organization and recorded a population of more than 100 for 1996.[7]

The American Jewish Archives' finding aid for the World Jewish Congress Records lists a folder titled "Fiji Islands," dated 1953, 1955, and 1958–1959.[11] This establishes that the WJC collected material under a Fiji heading during the mid-twentieth century, but the finding aid does not describe the folder's contents or the nature of any community activity.

Communal observance has included an annual Passover Seder organized by the Israeli Embassy for 50 to 60 people.[1][2] No synagogue exists in Fiji.[12] Kosher food has been imported from Australia, while a 2026 report said kosher products could be imported from both Australia and New Zealand.[2][5] Published community directories list the Fiji Jewish Association at Carpenter Street in Suva.[1][2]

Israel and Fiji maintain full diplomatic relations.[1] Earlier community profiles stated that the Israeli ambassador in Canberra represented Israeli interests in Fiji.[1][2] The diplomatic presence subsequently expanded: Fiji inaugurated an embassy in Jerusalem on September 17, 2025, and Israel reopened its embassy in Suva on June 1, 2026, with Maya Yaron serving as resident ambassador.[2][5]

The U.S. Embassy has used social-media posts and videos highlighting Yom Kippur and other religious holidays to promote religious pluralism and tolerance, reflecting Fiji's constitutional protection of religious freedom.[6] In 2018, hundreds of people marched through Suva carrying Israeli flags and friendship banners at an event organized and financed by Christians for Israel. Israel's Pacific-affairs adviser addressed the gathering.[13]

Travel accounts describe warm reactions toward Jewish and Israeli visitors among some Indigenous Fijians, often in a Christian religious context. Christianity spread among Indigenous Fijians after missionaries began arriving in the mid-nineteenth century, and Christian Fijians became familiar with Moses and the Hebrew people through the Old Testament.[14] In a 2006 account, Israeli travelers reported that residents of Tedi village reacted with reverence after learning they were Jewish and asked, "Are you from the chosen people?" and "Does Jerusalem really exist?"[14]

Some travelers and public speakers have also reported a belief among Fijians that their ancestors descended from one or more of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The belief appeared in remarks associated with the 2018 pro-Israel rally and in a 2026 interview with an Israeli traveler.[13][15] These accounts document locally expressed religious beliefs and perceptions; they do not constitute evidence of ancient Jewish settlement or a verified genealogical connection.

The principal uncertainty concerns the size and permanence of the modern community. A survey recorded more than 100 Jews in 1996, while a 2007 U.S. report found no known Jewish community.[7][8] Later U.S. reports described a small community composed primarily of foreign residents, while the Jewish Virtual Library estimated approximately 60 Jews.[3][2] A June 2026 report's statement that Fiji had no permanent Jewish community may be compatible with a largely foreign-resident population, but the available sources do not explain the differing descriptions.[5]

Claims that Indigenous Fijians descend from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel are not verified by genealogical or historical evidence in the reviewed sources. They should be understood as religious beliefs reported by some visitors and speakers, not as an established element of Jewish or Fijian history.[13][15]