Jewish Life in America: Primary Source Analysis

• Key primary sources needed to reinforce knowledge include key facts, central messages, historical significance, and quick practice questions.

Rebecca Samuel's Letter to Her Parents

• Penned by Rebecca Samuel in the late 18th century, the letter was addressed to her parents in Europe.
• It details her struggles with maintaining Jewish traditions in a Christian-majority society while living in Virginia.
• The central message conveys her distress of raising children without a strong Jewish community and the difficulty of maintaining Jewish identity and traditions.
• It provides rare insight into Jewish women's experiences in colonial America, highlights the isolation of Jews outside major centers, and reflects the emotional and religious struggles of Jewish immigrants.

Penina Moise's Poem: “To Persecuted Foreigners”

• Written by Penina Moise in the 19th century during a time of mass Jewish immigration due to European persecution.
• The poem's audience was European Jews facing persecution and encourages them to immigrate to America, seen as a land of freedom, opportunity, and religious tolerance.
• The poem promotes America as a refuge, showcasing Jewish-American patriotism, belief in American ideals, hope, and optimism about life in the U.S.

Amsterdam Jewry's Letter to the Dutch West India Company

• Written in 1655 by Amsterdam Jewish community leaders.
• The audience was The Dutch West India Company.
• It protests Governor Peter Stuyvesant's attempt to expel Jews from New Amsterdam.
• It defends the rights of Jews to settle in New Amsterdam, advocating for religious freedom and equal treatment under Dutch law.
• The letter is an early example of Jewish advocacy for civil rights in America, demonstrating the struggle for Jewish acceptance in colonial America, and how Jews relied on legal appeals to fight discrimination.

Newport Jewish Community's Letter to President George Washington

• Was authored by the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island in 1790.
• It conveys gratitude for religious freedom in the U.S.
• The audience was President George Washington.
• Thanksgiving is expressed for the U.S. government's protection of religious freedom, which contrasts the persecution Jews faced in Europe.
• It led to Washington's quote: “To bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance”.
• It affirmed the commitment to religious freedom, and served as a landmark moment for Jewish civil rights in America

Mordecai Manuel Noah's “Proclamation to the Jews”

• Mordecai Manuel Noah authored it in 1825.
• The letter was written when Noah attempted to establish a Jewish refuge called Ararat in New York.
• The audience was Jews worldwide.
• A call for Jewish unity and self-determination, the proclamation invites Jews to settle in Ararat as a haven from persecution.
• It marks an early example of proto-Zionism, promoting Jewish autonomy.
• The proclamation reflects Jewish aspirations for a homeland before modern Zionism and shows American Jews thinking globally about Jewish survival.

Abigail Franks's Letters to Her Son Naphtali (Heartsey)

• The letters, written from New York to her son in London, were penned by Abigail Franks in the 18th Century.
• The audience was her son, Naphtali (Heartsey).
• Abigail expresses concerns about her son's assimilation into non-Jewish society and emphasizes the importance of maintaining Jewish identity and traditions.
• These letters provide insight into Jewish family life in colonial America, shows assimilation challenges, and highlights women's role in preserving culture and traditions.

Explore Jewish life in early America through primary sources. Examine Rebecca Samuel's letter detailing challenges maintaining Jewish traditions in a Christian society. Analyze Penina Moise's poem offering solace to persecuted European Jews during immigration.