El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-22

A4GElL De Wen 70 say IN Lle De
ginning that the noun Jew simply
designates the follower Of a certain
faith, Judaism. No matter what faitl
you may now accept. the moment yol
openly confess your belief in the doc
trines that are the peculiar heritage o.
the Jew, you VIII be admitted into the
household Of Israel I have little sym
pathy with those who desire to place
the jew I'm separate category, either
as separate nation or race. Regard
Ing the former III need ouly be said
that the jew has no government OF
ms own and consequently cannot be q
dlsLnct nations as for those who would
declare MIN separate race. I would
say that as long as ethnologists differ
so widely as to the definition OF this
word II IS most difficult TO so classify
him. This subject has become more diff
1icult since followers Of the Jewish
faith have been found in China and
Abyssinia who cannot be distinguished
IN outward form from the native popu-
latiOn.
In speaking Of the Jew in America
j am therefore speaking Of the con-
tribution Of those who believe in the
Jewish religion. Just as you might
ent Christian sects to the same. There
IS, however, this difference, If a mem
Der of the Jewish faith embraces the
dominant faith. then 1t IS only right
that his acts be credited to the faith
that he has abjured, since the new
faith has had no time TO affect his
mind and actions, the deeds Of his chill
dren. born and reared in different re-
llgious surroundings, have no place in
the achievements Of the Jews.
In order to start at the beginning
we must study the facts surrounding
the discovery Of this continent. In or
der to place a limit TO the scope Of
this paper I must confine myself 10
the United States
NOT levels bUf Tevvs Helped Columbus.
The popular legend about the queen
OF spain paWnlnE her JeWelry In order
70 make the trip Of Columbus possible
IS DeautTul and pathetic but it is not
true. II is a tale that. has been woven
from the fancy OF soma individual and
the truth is more aptly put in the pun
Of an historian, that it was not jewels
but Jews who made tho voyage of dis
cOvery. possible. I feel sure that 1t
was more than an historical cOinct-
dence that the decree Of expulsion was
publicly promulgated on April 80. 1892,
and that on the same day Columbus was
ordered TO equip a fleet. Weight is
added to this when we learn that on
august = 1872. about 500, OoO jews took
up the pilgrims staff and on the fol-
lowing day. august 3, Columbus sailed
upon the unknown sea From a strict
ilnanclai point Of view. the Jew though
against has VIII, contributed largely
TO the discovery of America That
these facts are not fancy but based
upon a true reading Of history is best
journal with the words, after the
Spanish mOnarchs had expelled all the
Jews from all their Kingdoms and
lands-they commissioned me to I'M
dertake the voyage TO India with a
properly equipped fleet"
But to contribute invOluntarily TO {
such an enterprise might not rebound I
to the credit Of the jew and so I make 4
bold to assert that without the Jew /
the trip would have been an impOssi-
bility. I do not refer TO the money that I
was seized but 10 the intellectual dis 4
coverles that made the trip possible.
the assistance Of Luis de San T
tangel- Gabriel sanchez and Joan Ca
brero at the court and their interces- /
sion with the queen at critical mo-
InenL Culu1n BUS would have left spain
and presented bis plans to another Sow
ereign. Without the astronomical. I
tables Of ZacutO a Jew, Columbus
sea and he acknowledges this debt In
his journal Among his crew were
found Luis de Torres. as interpreter
since they expected to find the ten lost
tribes and needed jew to speak TO O
them There was also to be found on
this journey Alfonso de la Gale. Rodri-
go sanchez, Maestro Bernal, the ship
physician. and -AarcO, the ship surgeon.
Nor need we be surprised at such a
NUMBER. Expelled from Spain they
knew not where 10 turn and gladly ac-
eepted the chance Of finding a haven
lI rest % FAR of India Columbus pub
icly acknowledges his debt to the Jews.
bis first letters, announcing the dis
'oVer1es were not sent to the king or
IueeH' but TO Luis de Santangel and
Gabriel Sanchez. who then forwarded
me same TO their soVereigns-
First jew In America.
forty years after the settlement Of
New. Amsterdam the first jew came.
aeon BarsimsOu arrived on the good
snip Pear Tree on July s. 1864, and
p the same year party OF % came on
he ship ST. Catarina either from Brazil
Taah
.rnor, Peter Stuyvesant did not desire
IeWs as residents of his colony and
I was only after an appeal to the
Jutch " est Indies company that they
we're allowed 60 settle. Even then Z
5tuyvesant objected and he finally per
nltted them TO remain on condition +
hat the Door among them shall not
become burden TO the company or
he community. but be supported by
heir own nation. In 1855 Asser levy
-pplec TO stand guard as other
tax was Imposed in lieu eff service.
his he refused TO pay and upon appeal
o Holland was granted the right. This
nclQent may seem insignificant but it
ooms large when we consider that at
he earliest date the Jew desired to
10 his duty as citizen and had TO
l lIugsle 70 De allowed to do So The
lrst burial ground was granted july
4, 1856 But Stuyresant was never
aFOrable 10 the Jews and so Is fami-
les moved in 1893 to Rhode Island
q
enerous reception and proved his dec
7ration that 7 desire not the liberty
D myself which ! would not freely and
weigh out to all the con-
ciences Of the world besides
New fOrk's Jewish Citizens.
IN lbSz the first Jewish cOngrega-
ion In New York rented a place OF
-orship on Mills street and in 1929 this
-as exchanged for a permanent syna-
u9S 5Ul LEtL 'eL I5QW9AoN 10 sos
raj assembly of New York passed an
ct that in the oath of abjuration Of
eW, the words upon the true faith Z
{ a Christian" should be omitted and
lree days thereafter Daniel 1Iunez da
Osta became a citizen.
On the occupation Of New York bv
le British, rabbi Ge-shOn 8Iendes SEEK
8 took the scrolls Of the synag0e.
nd with many others lied to Phila-
7lphla where they organized the first
7Wish congregation. This rabbi was
power In his time as it evidenced