The Denver Jewish news., 1919-11-26

leave forthwith The Jews took their
time, and petitioned the Dutch West
India Company in Holland. They were
not the humble, submissive type so
often met with in our Russian and
Roumanian brethren. They fought
Stuyvesant tooth and nail; they ar
pealed to the company again and
again, till the sturdy old soldier was
ordered to mend his ways and let the
Jews alone. "In view Of the fact that
they sustained heavy losses In the
taking Of Brazil, and also because
there are Jewish stockholders in the
company, you will govern yourself ac-
| ccrding to Instructions" read the or.
| der from Holland. Peter, however,
was not to be cowed by orders from
his superiors; and if he could not de-
port the Jews he could at least make
it right miserable for them at home
| When the company ordered that they
remain among the Dutch, Peter in
sisted that they stay there-and no
| where else. If he had to endure their
| living in New Amsterdam, he would
not endure their dying there-no bur-
ial-ground for Jews. The newcomers
fought every one of his oppressive
measures, and won in the end. Every
inch of the ground was a battlefield
and the Jews came out victorious.
At last an Order of ToleratiOn was
sent over from Holland on the 26th
M r,r1 Mt fhn civil
end political liberty, but not religious
liberty. They could have no synagos
or any other places of worship. They
| were also restricted from engaging IN
retail trade. This proved of lasting
consequence both for Jews and for
| future New York. They took to for
eign trade, soon becoming the Leading
exporters and importers in the col
onies. As to their religious restric-
tions, Peter was too busy with the
Swedes to watch them, and needless
to say, they held services in private
homes. About year after the Order
Of federation came over, they found
themselves in actual need of a burial
ground. They applied for it, and it
| was granted.
Having acquired civil and political
liberty. the Jews decided that they
ought to be allowed to do guard duty
This the Governor refused. A dispute
arose. The case was brought into
court, and the Jews woi.. The Gov
crnor next forbade them to own real
estate; they went ahead and bought
| 1t anyway. The court busted with their
cases, and whenever they suspected
that it was unjustly siding with tile
Governor, they took their eases higher.
and stin higher; and never stopped
till they had Justice. The one figure
that towers above the rest of these
brave men like Judas Maccabeus is
Asser Levy.
4 Levy was neither rich nor learned.
However, he possessed n sense Of JUS
tice, profound seh-respect that would
not swerve before tyranny, a dignity
that would not bend, nor kneel nor
fawn before despotism. No threats
cowed him. He was constantly in the
courts. fighting case after case which
was often Of no immediate conse-
quence to himself, but which proved
of lasting consequence for subsequent
generations. He would forego his
service, his slender means, his labor.
on every and any OCCASION; but once
rhe slightest privilege belonging to the
| Jewish community was touched. he
was ready to fight to the last ditc'
He it was who insured the liberty and
freedom our forefathers enjoyed un
der Dutch rule. and even partly UNI
der English rule In America.
Some years before the Jewish Pill
grim Fathers came to New Amster-
dam things were happening in New
England. Apparently few Jews had
found their way into the Boston and
| plymouth settlements, and the divines
were laundering imprecations against
! them from the pulpits.s Cotton Matli-
cr, who subsequently became a great
| figure in the Salem witch trials, in
! his Magnolia Christi" called the
| Jews .'rascals of Jerusalem and 'the
| outcasts of the world" whom it was
n deadly sin to tolerate among n
Christian people. But in 1881 there
came to Boston a young minister, Rog-
or Williams, who had almost been run
ont of the mother country for his
| wild Dreams Among many things
equally revolutionary in tenor he
proclaimed that no man should wish
for himself any privilege, any adj
vantage whatsoever, which he was not
ready to grant. to his fellowman, no