City overview

The Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola with Haiti and offers more variety than anywhere else in the Caribbean, from Punta Cana's resorts to colonial Santo Domingo and the laid-back north coast around Puerto Plata. Jewish infrastructure here is the best in the region, entirely built by Chabad of the Dominican Republic under Rabbi Shimon Pelman, who also serves as shochet. Santo Domingo has a daily and Shabbos minyan, a mikvah, and Rimon Kosher Market — a full kosher supermarket with its own restaurant, a rarity in the Caribbean. A second Chabad centre opened on the north coast in Puerto Plata in 2025 with its own kosher restaurant and Shabbos services. Kosher catering delivers island-wide, including to Punta Cana resorts, though Punta Cana itself has no year-round kosher restaurant, permanent shul, or eruv.