Vayhi – The S&P and Ashkenazim
Narratives are important. The same series of events can take on a completely different meaning depending on how they are told. A prime example of this is the story of Yosef and […]
Tag Archives: America
Hamburg, Germany – Gateway to the West
I recently discovered more significant Jewish history in Hamburg than I had ever expected to find there. It turns out that Hamburg played an instrumental role in both the early […]
11th Street Cemetery – New York
Tiny and hidden away is the second cemetery of New York’s first Jewish congregation, Shearith Israel. Located in Greenwich Village on West 11th st., it was in use from 1805-1829. This […]
The Touro Trial and the Legacy of Anglo-American Jewry
The Jewish trial of the century has just concluded. The trial pitted the oldest American Jewish community against the oldest American synagogue. At stake was the legacy of America’s Colonial era Jews. […]
Shearith Israel – New York
Shearith Israel is the oldest Jewish congregation in America, founded in 1654. It was there that I first encountered and then became inspired by and engrossed in the history and […]
Colonial Jewish New York
I spent one of my last evenings in NY before moving to London at the location where it all began. In 1730 Congregation Shearith Israel constructed the first ever synagogue in […]
Behar – Let Freedom Ring!
In 1751 a bell was cast. The work was carried out by the firm Lester and Pack, today named Whitechapel Bell Foundry, located just a few blocks away from London’s […]
Old Jewish Burial Ground – Savannah, G.A.
The ‘Old Jewish Burial Ground’ in Savannah is surrounded by a tall wall outside of old Savannah. My visit to it therefore felt very much like a privileged introduction to […]
Mickve Israel – Savannah, G.A.
You’ve never seen a synagogue like this! Constructed in 1878, Mickve Israel is the only neo-Gothic style synagogue building in America. It is similar to many other religious buildings in Savannah, though Mickve […]
Coming St. Cemetery – Charleston, S.C.
I now know that the most impressive early American Jewish cemetery is in Charleston, South Carolina. I was struck by its size, and by the variety of its tombstones. The […]
