The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-06-11
COMING OF THE JEWS.
Members of the Race Landed In
America Along with Columbus.
From an Early stage of Our His
tory the Hebrews Have Done Much
for the Progress of Our
Great Country.

The convention of the American Jew
ish Historical society in this city has at
tracted fresh public interest in the
american Jew, or, to speak with more
national spirit, the. Jewish-American.
The voluminous labors of Solomon Wolf,
of Washington, have only recently re-
suited in q triumphant demonstration
of the unfailing patriotism of the jew
ish people of the new world. To quote
from critic of Mr.. sYo' f's work, "he has
proved beyond ca, i .pat from an early
,tsge OF our history de$.A 20 the pres
ent day men of the Hebrew race and
faith have been counted in the van of
the country's progress, and in the fore
front of its defense. They have per-
formed an ample part in the conquest
of our liberties and have fully shared
in the struggles for the preservation of
our institutions"
The coming of the Jew to The new
world was very early. indeed. He came
over with Columbus. DIR. Moses Kayser
ling, the renowned savant of Buda-
Pesth, has proved that the illustrious
Genoese navigator had among his crew
in the three vessels which sailed from
Palos on August 3, 1492, members of the
race of Abraham. One of these Jews,
Rodrigo Sanchez, relative of the
royal treasurer of Arragonian Spain,
accompanied the expedition as veedor,
or superintendent, at the special request
of Queen Isabella. The ship physician
and surgeon were also Jews. Sanchez
was the second to espy the land of the
new world before the shout of "Tierra!
Tierra!" Colrnbus had, in fact, studied
the astronomical tables of the Jewish
scholar Zacuto, and landing day, Fri
day, October 12, 1892, was strangely
.enougb-the Jewish day Of great
hosannas 1t was like prophecy of the
new life which the oppressed Jews were
10 find in America, and prediction of
the constantly increasing factor which
they were to become in the new empire
of the west.
The first definite Jewish settlement
in America occurred in Brazil about
t54S. The first within the United States
tooll place in 1854, when 27 Jewish emf
rants from Bahia. South America, ar
we'd in New Amsterdam. The Dutch
.-overnor then was Peter Stuyvesant.
who had something of the jew batter
in his nature, SO that future immigrants
generally settled in Newport, Il. 1, Just
when the first Jews came to Philadel-
phia is uncertain, but evidently some
time before their settlement in the
southern states Savannah, Ca, 1889.
[a,, hn x,fD
min Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette,
was most probably of lsraelitish de
scent, for he Kept the Jewish Sabbath
and wore the long beard. Mickveh Israel
(lIope of Israeli, the first Jewish re.
iigious assembly in Pennsylvania, was
founded in this city practically in 1747
Fhiladelphia can well be proud of the
patriotic record of her Jewish citizen
ship in the past, as recorded preem
inently in Henry Samuel Morals com,
prehensive work on 'The Jews of Phila'
delphia." They have been in their high
est aspect typical Americans, true to the
new American ideals. We need but re
member such Jews as those whose
names may still be seen in Independence
hall subscribed to the nonimportatior
resolutions; to generous Haym Solo
mon, fit fellow worker with Robert Nor
ris, who loaned over $350,000 to the
cause of the revolution and was never re
paid, and to Col. Isaac Franks, an ait
de camp to Gen. George Washington
Of civic dignitaries mention need only
be made of Simon Gratz, one of th'
founders of the Pennsylvania academ.
of fine arts, and Judge Moses Levy, als'
a recorder of the city and a trustee o
the University of Pennsylvania He
Jewish citizens of to-day are nobly uI
holding their heritage of civic honor
Philadelphia Record.