American Jewish History

1
American Jewish History

• In the Beginning

2
Jewish Ghettoes (1215-1870)
3
1500s-1600s in Western Europe

• State Religion Christianity
• Jews are outsiders
• Anti-Semitism Jews killed Christ
• Trade, movement, and living area restricted
• Couldnt join guilds
• Couldnt always travel freely
• Lived in ghettoes
• No civic rights

4
Jews of Spain Portugal (1000-1497)
5
Golden Age of Spain

• Jews encouraged to enter all fields
• Jews become advisors to Moorish leaders
• Sephardic Jews become an intellectual
  aristocracy

6
Change is Coming

• 1100-1300 Moorish influence wanes
• 1270 7th Crusade
• Conversos
• Don Pablo de Santa Maria/Selemo ha-Levi

7
The Inquisition

• Ferdinand Isabella devout Catholics
• Church court established to counteract heresy.
• Thomas de Torquemada
• 1492 all Jews expelled from Spain.

8
Emigration from Spain

• Where did Spanish Jews go when they were
  expelled?
• Portugal
• N. Africa
• Ottoman Empire (including Israel)
• Netherlands

9
The Netherlands

• Major center for trade
• 1565-1609 wages war against Spain
• Knowledge connections help in war
• Jews hold ¼ shares in Dutch West India Company by
  end of 17th century.
• High culture and prosperity
• Community of professed Jews from 1608

10
Emigration from the Netherlands

• Dutch Colonies
• Recife, Brazil
• Religious freedom
• Portugal defeats the Dutch
• The Inquisition is coming

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Life in a New World

• America 1654-1776

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New Amsterdam - 1654

• Ste. Catherine
• 1st Jewish community
• Peter Stuyvesant
• Governor of New Amsterdam
• Many prejudices

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A Conversation Between New Amsterdam and Amsterdam

• Introduction to primary sources
• What is a primary source?
• Basis for class project
• Will examine two documents related to the first
  Jews arrival in New Amsterdam.
• Model for working with primary sources

14
Working for Additional Rights

• In America Jews fight for their rights
• Asser Levy
• Tax or Duty
• Citizenship

15
Jewish Community

• Jews wanted to live openly as Jews
• Petition for religious rights
• New Amsterdam is Dutch Reform colony
• Not all groups given religious rights
• 1655 Jewish cemetery
• 1656 religious services in home
• 1682 allowed to mark off space for religious
  worship (1730 first synagogue built in NY)

16
British Colonies

• 1664 Dutch cede New Amsterdam to British
• 1667 Treaty of Breda
• Guarantee rights worship, trade, property
• Why are British colonies settled?
• Massachusetts No Jews

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Georgia - 1733

• July 1733, William and Sarah 42 Jews
• James Oglethorpe supports Jews
• shall be a liberty of conscience allowed in the
  worship of God, to all persons.
• Knowledge of wine growing and making
• Young men to work in the colony
• Usefulness of Jews vs. prejudice

18
A More Tolerant Society

• Purpose of colonies
• ?
• Jewish assets
• Religious pluralism
• Jews not primary victims
• Catholics
• African-Americans
• Naturalization Act of 1740

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Jewish Life in the Colonies

• Basic characteristics
• Port cities
• Married late
• Close communities
• Modest incomes
• Relationship with Non-Jews
• Business
• Friends
• Marriage

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Jewish Life in the Colonies II

• Order of Religious Development
• Cemetery
• Congregation
• Synagogue

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Jewish Life in the Colonies III

• Sephardic/Ashkenazic
• Lived together
• Worshipped together
• Synagogues
• Center of Jewish life
• Power in community
• Not high level of culture/scholarship
• Buildings blended in