The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-07
FIRST SYNAGOGUE ON
SOUTH WILLIAM ST.
Built Two Centuries Ago Near Present
Site of Cotton Exchange.--Burned
in Great Fire of 1855.


ready to trade. His first price naturally
was high. But after several talks with
his wife. Catherine. and the committee,
flOO. or abou, siS6. was Considered a
fair price by both sides. The plot pur-
chased was 40 feet wide, 102 feet on the
west line and 80 feet on the east line.
/ The deed was recorded on March 10.
l7gs, but the deal was closed the pre-
ccdlng December. That the attitude OF
, the British TO Jews having n public
house OF prayer had changed was evil
dent In the wording OF the deed. 1t
speaks OF our Sovereign Lord George
the Second by the grace OF god King OF
Great Britain, France and Ireland and
Defender OF the faith" God was spelled
without capital
The deed also explained that the deal
had the good liltcing and the voluntary
concent" OF the wife OF Cornelius Con
per. The pot was bounded on the west
side by the holdings Of James Alexander.
on the north by Lawrence Van Hook
and Samuel Lancelott and by the house
or Cornelius Chopper on the east. with
the pot the Choppers conveyed "edi-
races, buildings, fences ways, easements
and appurtenances whatever on the
property" Hope that the buyers would
prosper. and enjoy the lott. premises
and appurtenances" are entertained in
the deed, The following year the com.
nistee put on record bond showing
that the property was bought by them
Tor the Jewish congregation OF the city
OF New York, that they had e. 900 which
had been the voluntary Offering Of IN.
Jewish people OF the city for the pur-
chase OF site and the construction OF a
synagogue on II.
That future generations Of the four
committeeman might not have reason
10 claim an interest IN the property
they conveyed II to another committee
appointed by the congregation. The
committee explains. the property was
bought for the congregation and that
the property was forever to remain a
site Tor synagogue for the Jewish
nation Inhabited In the city"
Baruch Judah and Isaac Gomez an
pesred before Francis Harrison, one OF
his Matesty's councillors In the prov
ince, and made oath. Harrison writes
on the Ave books OF Moses" after the
manner OF the Jews. that they saw the
bond signed by the committee. No,
until this bond went on record was IL
known that the property would be i'm
proved with synagogue. Concern
followed. Adjoining owners naturally
could not have lost so soon the feeling
against the Jewish faith which had been
handed down from one generation TO
another. The people Of the neighbor-
hood must have shown their dlsp ,easure
in many ways. for when tho synagogue
was built the entrance was In the rear
or the building 40 that Jew. A. prayer
could not be hooted at by neighbors. I,
stood In the centre OF the plo, and back
from the street line. Between II ana
the street was q tall wood palinr. The
gate was at the extreme east end Of
the fence. The building was Of stone
and Of very simple design.
Great care was exercised that the ex.
terror or the structure should not gem
crate envy. The interior OF the building.
however, was very fine and much OF the
voluntary fund raised for the syna goeue
was spent there. When finished It was
called shearith Israel. which means
r INFANT OF Israel. The spring MT the
end or the street was appropriated bv
the congregation for the qualification
ceremony which requires that clean
sparkling water be used. II was said
that the spring. as much as anything
else. influenced the committee to select
this site for the first synagogue In
America. The synagogue remained for
nearly a century and was the only one
In the city. BY that is meant another
synagogue was not erected for nearly
a hundred years after the construction
OF the Mil street pdinCp Tbro,,ohn,,,
the city were many places OF worship.
az ten people form a congregation. ac-
cording TO the Jewish religion.
The MIL street synagogue went down
In the great fire OF 1853 which swept
through the lower section Of the city.
Had the streets been wider the IRE