On Sept. 14, 1654, 23 Jewish refugees from Recife Brazil arrived in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. Although individual Jews had explored and traded in the New World since the days of Columbus, these were the first families to form a permanent settlement on ground that would become part of the United States.

New Amsterdam, the southern end of Manhattan Island was purchased by Peter Minuet of the Dutch West India Company in 1626 and captured by the British and renamed New York in 1664.

The Dutch West India Company operated New Amsterdam as a profit-making venture and defended the island with a professional army under the direction of Governor Peter Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant favored restricting emigration to select Protestant groups and excluding the Jews and the “Papists” (Catholics.)

The Board of Directors of the West India Company, deciding that Jewish participation would benefit the new colony, overruled Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant allowed them to settle on the remote upper west side of Manhattan and under certain conditions relegating them to a second-class status. The Jews again petitioned the West India Company and again, Stuyvesant was required to grant them full rights. 

After the British captured New Amsterdam in 1664, the Jews were accorded full civil rights in the British colony. By 1706 they had organized their own congregation, Shearith Israel.

Coming to America

The route to America began in 1492, on roughly the day of Columbus’ departure to search for the new world. Columbus was not the only one to depart from Spain. Departing along with Columbus were all the Jews in Spain.

This was the beginning of the Spanish Inquisition. It was the beginning of a period when every non-Catholic in Spain had three choices: convert to Catholicism, leave the country, or face death. In the days leading to Columbus’ voyage, the entire non-Catholic population of Spain left the country by horse, foot or ship.

The Spanish monarchs immediately ceased the property of the Jews and used it to support their projects to expand their power—projects such as Columbus’ voyage.

In 1500, Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, who commanded the Pinta on Christopher Columbus's first voyage, landed at Recife and would have liked to have claimed Brazil for Spain, but according to the prior Treaty of Tordesillas (1494,) Spain could make no claim and it was soon discovered and settled by the Portuguese.

In 1624 the Dutch seized Recife and Jews were welcomed to Brazil. In  1654, the Portuguese retook Recife, driving out the Dutch. In 1536, the Inquisition had spread to Portugal, and in 1654 it expanded to Recife.

The Jews departed Brazil and sought sanctuary in the Dutch West Indies. From there, they petitioned the West India Company for permission to emigrate to New Amsterdam.

350^th Anniversary

The 23 original Jewish families grew and were joined by additional émigrés of Spanish “Sephardim” heritage. They settled in six communities: Newport, Rhode Island; New York; Philadelphia; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Richmond, Virginia. In the 1700s, German Jews began arriving, and by 1720 the majority of Jews in America were German “Ashkenazim.”

The influx of workers to Eastern Pennsylvania’s expanding slate and coal industries created a demand for clothing and household items. The Jews filled the need by becoming peddlers and carrying clothing and pots and pans from New York City and selling them in Slatington and Lehighton. As the peddling grew into a continuing business, some of the Jews relocated to Easton to be closer to their customers. From Easton, the Jewish businesses spread to Allentown, initially bypassing the largely Moravian town of Bethlehem. 

Arny and Dee Kaplan of Allentown, a couple active in both the Lehigh County Historical Society and the Lehigh Valley Jewish Federation, helped bring the two groups together to develop a year-long celebration of the 350^th anniversary of the first Jews in America. Crucial to the celebration was the completion of the Historical Society’s new $6 million center at Fourth and Walnut Streets in Allentown. The Jewish community needed a venue for an exhibition and the Historical Society needed an exhibition for its grand opening this past April. 

“We just built this building, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Center, after waiting 100 years,” said John Zolomij - Executive director of the Lehigh County Historical Society. “Arny Kaplan was very involved with the 350^th anniversary on a national and international scale. While we were opening the building, he asked us if we were interested in getting involved?”

“This was an incredibly wonderful opportunity to bring the Allentown, Bethlehem and Eaton communities together,” Zolomij continued, “and to begin shows of the 42 ethnicities in our area.”

As the plans for the celebration expanded, recognizing that managing of the event required someone full-time, the Jewish community sponsors hired Judith Rodwin as coordinator.

The year-long event sponsored numerous lectures, exhibits, Scholars-in-Residences, films, contests and special editions of newspapers and magazines. On Sept. 11, a choir presentation Shiru America with conductor Sharri Sparks will be presented at the Allentown Jewish Center.

The ongoing program is the exhibition at the Heritage Center. There are exhibits of Jewish businesses in the Lehigh Valley such as Just Born candies, Day-Timer personal organizers, Rodale Press, Allen Organs and Hess’s Department Store.

Exhibits show memorabilia from Jews in entertainment, in the garment industry, a kosher butcher, religious materials, art and internationalism—one photo shows Philip Berman – owner of Hess’s Department Store shaking hands with Pope John Paul II. Mrs. Berman was president of the Jewish Publication Society of America.

“The 350^th anniversary is a time to think about how Jews have been a distinctive part of the Lehigh Valley community for all these years,” said Rodwin. “It’s something to think as we go forth, about where we fit in, and about keeping a Jewish context and an American context together.”

The exhibition will run through the end of December at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Center at Fourth and Walnut Streets in Allentown. Open Monday though Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For information, call 610-435-1074.