There is little known about the past of Jews in Greenland. There were certainly Jews among the first Dutch whalers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and Jews owned some of the ships that took part in the whaling. There has never been a Jewish community in Greenland, but there have been a number of Jewish visitors who have lived there for a period of time. These include journalists, nurses, meteorologists, and American and Danish servicemen. The first vessel in the Israeli navy began life as an American coastguard ship that
patrolled the Greenlandic coast.

One larger than life character, who lived several decades in Greenland, was Peter Freuchen, a Dane of Jewish descent. He was a giant of a man, standing more than six foot seven tall, and sporting a truly impressive beard. Freuchen was a Danish explorer, anthropologist, cartographer, zoologist, author and journalist. He wrote several scientific papers and numerous popular science books, novels and autobiographical works, primarily focusing on the Arctic Thule region, native culture, and scientific exploration. He started a trading post, which he named Thule. Later Freuchen Land was named after him.

During World War II, Freuchen was actively involved with the Danish resistance movement against the occupation by Nazi Germany, despite having lost a leg to frostbite in 1926. He openly claimed to be Jewish whenever he witnessed anti-semitism. Freuchen was imprisoned by the Germans, and was sentenced to death, but he managed to escape and flee to Sweden.

From 1954 onwards, there was a Jewish congregation on the base that was always able to gather about fifteen men for Sabbath services. There was a reserve rabbi working at Thule. A Passover Seder was conducted in 1955 with matzah, food, and wine as well as haggadot. In total, there were fifty-three Jews at the Thule Air Base at the seder.

The congregation was founded by Captain Robert Holt, a theology student from the Christian Science movement. His Hebrew skills were said to be so exceptional that many people did not even realize that he was not actually Jewish. For a short while the country could boast of having the northernmost minyan in the world, namely the one assembled at Thule Air Base.