The American Jewish world. [volume] (Minneapolis ;) 1915-current, 1921-08-26
The Jew In America
By DR.. David Phipson, Rabbi Temple Bene Israel,
Cincinnati, Ohio
Concluded from last weekly
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Concluded from last week.)

The attitude of the Government on
the subjects of the rights Of con-
science as expressed in the article OF
the Constitution of the United States,
Congress shall make no law respect
ing the establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
is brought out constantly IN the
correspondence carried on with rep
resentatives of other governments
where the Jews have been oppressed
and prosecuted. l have not the space
to quote from the correspondence, but
must refer the reader who desires
further information on the subject to
the fifteenth volume of the publica-
lions of the American Jewish Histor-
ical Society, entitled, "Jews in the
Diplomatic Correspondence OF the
United States" compiled by the Pres
ident of the Society, DR.. Cyrus Adler,
and to the article, "The American
Passport in Russia" also by DR.. Ad-
Ter, in the Year Book Of the Jewish
Publication Society of America for
19O4-5.
Some Miscellaneous Items.
The first statue to belong to the
United States was a bronze statue
of Thomas Jefferson by the French
sculptor, David dangers. This was
presented to the United States by
the Jewish naval officer, Lieutenant
(ater Commodore) Uriah P. Levy,
who, at the time Of his death, in 1862,
was the highest ranking officer in
the U. S. Navy, and formally accept
ed by Congress, on motion OF Charles
Sumner. This is the only statue in
the Capitol at Washington which is
the gift of one individual; all others
in Statuary Hall were either paid for
by Congress or were presented by
State Legislatures.
Judah Touro, the famous Jewish
philanthropist, contributed ten thou
sand dollars towards the Bunker
Hill monument fund. The Louis
lana delegation bought a model
of the monument at fair in Boston,
held in aid of the building fund, and
placed this model in one of the public
buildings of New Orleans in honor of
Touro, where it remained until the
building was destroyed by fire.
The Order Of B'nai Birth erected in
Paramount Park, Philadelphia, the
group Religious Liberty, by the sculp-
tor Moses Ezekiel, in 1876, in cele-
bration Of the centennial of the sign
ing of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence.
Jacob Rodriguez Riviera, who set
tied at Newport, R. l., in the eight
eenth century, introduced the sperm
oil industry into the United States.
Jews of New York in I'LL con-
tributed five pounds, twelve shillings,
towards building the steeple of Trim
ity Church; the name Of Abraham
de Lucena occurs in the list of donors.
One of the original band of settlers
of Georgia was DR.. Samuel Nunez
Ribero, who placed his medical
knowledge at the service of the col
onists. Governor 'Oglethorpe called
the attention of the trustees of the
Colony to the voluntary services of
the physician, whereupon the trustees
requested the Governor to offer him
a gratuity for these services.
Another of the Jewish pioneers of
Georgia, Abraham de Lyon, introduced
viticulture into the United States.
Mention may also be made Of Jo-
seph Ottolenghi, who was member
of the Georgia Assembly from 1851
65; in what light his services to the