Sephardic Immigration to de United States

Settlement by the Sephardic Jews began in the North East region of the United States during the colonial period. The retaking of Brazil by the Portuguese, the poverty afflicting the Sephardic community of Holland and England, and the trading opportunities afforded by the colonies in North America encouraged the settlement of Sephardim in those colonies which provided safety from the inquisition and varying degrees of religious freedom. The Sephardim began to arrive in 1654 in what was then the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. They organized themselves as Congregation Shearith Israel.

In 1658, attracted by the “civil government” of Roger Williams, Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island, 15 Sephardic Jewish families from the Caribbean arrived in Newport, RI, and called themselves Congregation Jeshuat Israel. They dedicated Touro Synagogue in 1763, and this structure has stood in the same location ever since. It is now registered as a National Historical Landmark. Throughout the 18th century Sephardic communities appeared along the East Coast establishing synagogues in Philadelphia, PA, Richmond, VA; Savannah, GA; and Charleston, S.C.

Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia traces it origins back to the creation of Jewish Communal Cemetery in 1740. During the Revolutionary War, Jews from all of the synagogues fled to Philadelphia, where they joined together under the leadership of the distinguished Reverend Gershom Mendes Seixas, the first Jewish minister trained in America. Rev. Seixas refused to submit to the authority of the British, and was obliged to flee New York when they took control of Shearith Israel.

 Sephardic immigration during the 19th century was minimal (especially in comparison with the massive influx of Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe) but Sephardim continued to be fully involved in the civic and commercial life of the new nation. Just prior to the turn of the century and in the first decades of the 20th century, an open door policy on the part of the U.S., as well as disquiet in Turkey, the Balkans, North Africa, and the Middle East, led to a new influx of Sephardim from these regions. Estimates suggest that between 24 and 40 thousand Sephardim entered the country at this time. Most of them remained in the major urban centers of New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. Many Mizrahi Jews (especially those from Syria and Lebanon) arrived as part of the wave of immigration that entered the country at the beginning of the 20th century. Others, such as the Moroccans and the Egyptians, arrived in the late forties and early fifties. And still others, such as the Persians arrived after the ascendancy to power of the Ayatollah Khomeni in Iran in 1979.

These waves of immigration are part of the fabric of this nation’s experience and the Northeastern U.S. has borne witness to the arrival of representatives from all these migrations. They or their descendents have played important roles in United States history. By way of example, Mordecai Manuel Noah’s patriotic articles gained him notoriety and approval in the War of 1812. He was actively involved in the politics of New York and the U.S. until he was appointed Consul to Tunis in 1813. Uriah Phillips Levy (1792-1862) was the first Jewish Commodore of the U.S. Navy and instrumental in abolishing flogging. His family was closely related to many of the Sephardi families of New York. Benjamin Nathan Cardozo of New York, the first Sephardic Jew on the U.S. Supreme Court, was appointed in 1932. A small number of Sephardic Jews fought for the United States in WWI and later thousands fought and died for their country in WWII.

After the war year, many of these new Americans went on to prosper along with the rest of country after the war years, including several who served honorably in the government and in private industry.

Fuente: sephardicarchives.org