lhey Came to Stay To Worship PORTRAITS ETCHED IN STONE. The first is a narrath•e account Eaify Jewish Scttlcn, 1682-llll. By of the cemetery's history, from Freely David de Sola Pool. Illustrated. 541 the acquiring of the ground in pp. New York: Columbi• Univenity 1682, until the last burial to be VIRGINIA'S MOTHER CHURCH, PrrsL $10. recorded, thal of a child named •nd the Political Concfitiont Undo:r Whic:h It Grew. Vol. 0: The Story Bnmdllla Isaacs on Feb. 4, 1833. By FRANCIS S. RONALDS of the Anslic:•n Church and the N 1~4 a bout twenty-three The second portion of the book, Dnelopment of Religion in Vir Sephardic Jew11 "reached the comprfstng alm0tit two-thirds of gini•, 1727-1814. By George M. Brv· endI of the inhabited earth called the whole, is devoted to short don, 688 pp. Philaaelphi•: Chvrc:h Now Holland" and the following blographles of the. 179 Individ Historic•I Saciety. $10. year petitioned tor permission uals known to have been burled HE nearly ninety yeani, 1721- to 11urchase a burying ground, in lhis hallowed ground. Excel T1814, covered by the second th'" 'Sowing that "they in lent Illustrations, maps and volume of G. M. Brydon'e &<'· te! . to remain tn this part ot charts, genealogical tables, a count or religion In Virginia the New World and throw In gloBBary ot Hebrew words used were a crucial period. not only their lot with the new Colony." in the text and a bibliography in the field of religion but in Dr. David de Sola Pool, rabbi of manuscript and published other cultural and poUUcal ot the Spanish and Portuguese sources add to its usetulnesa. flel~ as welL .In Its specifically Synagogue, baa, tn this history The hJatory of lhe cemetery religious upect.s it was a time of the second oldest bUrial depicts lhe growth of the Jew when the established Anglican ground in New York-on New ish <.'ommunlty ot New York Church learned to co-exist, If Bowery Street near Chatham from the original handful to nol always harmonlously, with Square- succeeded In producing "the greatest aggregation in diuentlng sects and after t he a truly interesting bft of Amer· Iarael'11 story." New York Revolution to take its place, as icana. It goes wilhout saying City's Jewish Congregation the Episcopal Church, in a new that the volume will be a collec· Shearfth Israel. founded In 1855, lll11atratfOll ,,._ "l'nm.ila 6/cluld '" 1111.,,.._" nation. tor's item in the library of Is the oldest .Jewish communlty Cliatham Squ•n Cemetery. 'Mr. Brydon states that "the in North America, and for a every New Yorker with a gen great and essentially important century and three-quarters its uine interest in the hJstory and selves, as well 118 many ot streets and houaes, but soon goal to be attained by the state cemeteries were the only Jewish origins of Manhattan. But it their descendants, .b&ve play~ after the Revolution the city was to develop and put into et. burial places in the..clty. will be particularly prized by notable parts In the history of spread all about and around it. feet a scheme or political life l descendants of those persons New York City. In 18~ the Corporation of the In whJch rellgion should be free, who were laid to rest in this JHE cemetery played a part The Irresistible groWth rll the City prohJbit;ed all .burials south and every individual have full ''bOU&e of eternity," a.a wen' aa in lhe Amer;can defense of New city gave. scant respect to of Grand Street. In 1855 the right and opportunity to wor b!( ealogists in quest of in· York In 1776 as Gell. Charles graveyards, and It ls most re cutting through of New Bowery shJp God In his own way and ton...... :p.. Lee placed Hveral of his guns marltable that despite the all Street made it necesaary to re according to bis own be- I This handsome volume ls di· in the "Jew Burying Ground," engulfing advance and rapid' move some 256 ~vea . NevltJ' lleta." In m~ng toward this vided into two main secUona; and among ,the graves today are change ot the city the cemetery theless, thJa quiet spot still re goat eighteenth - century Vir· those of eighteen Revolutionary Is still there. Eighteenth-century mains, "a sentimental triumph ginla served not only Itself but Mr. Ronalda i.Y director of th" soldiers. Other graves serve maps show this old burying over the city's sheer utilitarian the nation and generations yet I Morrlstoum Natfomil Park. to memorialize men wh
Dr. Francis s. Ronalda, Superintendent Morristown National Historical Park M>rristown, New·Jersey
Dear Fran:
I h:ave received your letter o:r October ll in which ;you inquire regarding the manner of submission of the Jewish cemetery on Bowery Street to the Advisory Board and its coming meeting in November.
I discussed ;your comment with Director Wi.i-th, and we are agreed that the project can be submitted in such a manner that if' the Board does not feel able to approve the designation, no action for or age.inst the project will be taken at this time. Ot course,. if the Board should approve the designation, this aspect would not arise. I am having copies made of that portion of your letter" which deals with this matter, and I am sending a copy with this copy of m;y rep~ for the information of Regional Director Cox.
Sincere~ yours, ~J/f:~ Ronald F. Lee Assistant Director
Copy to: Regional Director, Region One - with excerpts 1)"om incoming letter Co~y referrod to
I ,r i4 RE6EiV · E~ . f .t!CT s- 19 MOftRISTOVJM N~llOAAL HtSlORtCAL PARK-
(SGO) ·Conrad L Y/Jrlf!
~
Cppy- tor. 'Regio~ Director, Region Ono (2)" Septeiabor 20, 1952
Kc:aoron4wlr To: Hogional Director, Beel-on One Fro111 .Superintondont, orri Jt-orm· Il tional lll1torioal Po.rk Subject, Report on old J lab. C••tacy in Dev York C1tf f. In aooordono• with ln tructloruJ from !uiatCillt Rori:ional D11 ator Tobin l on B ndir1g the original ro.!1prt to tho Dir .a.tor. Unfol'tuilA.t oly, I oould. obtein Qnly ono oopy o. t4o ttap 1howi~ tho c.U!4ct looation of th Je izih Ccotn·ey in relation to the Ci~ F,all mld Broo 1111 Bride••
.la uoon r P review copieo are avf)ilable Dr. Pool uill 1 vo JD.C mo, t;hi-oh I nill celid on to the Dlr•o·toi;- a1 an acco:ipaninent to my .report.
Franois s. Ronnlds Supel'intendent
· Bnolo111·ro D ~· ·
Seytecber 26, 1952 oranduo ' Toi DiF•ctor FN.J: Sµp rintend nt, !Orri toon at1onal Hiatoriotll. Po.rk ' 8ubjoot i Rop·ol:'t on oli J'cwlBb Ca t1ry in J1ow York C.l:t;y Tog thor ith J>p. Da.Tid do Sola Pool I t ic• 1i •,itad tho J i1h C .teq on ~ Bo ry St1~0 t a.nd. I have road in g 11 7 proot tr. Pool'• f orthco::lln.c erk ~n tho Cece.tory. t'hi• book will bt publiahcu by th' Ui:ilv rsltT, ol Colu;ibia Pree in 1't q~ ~ 17lanf!I !or tl o le'brnt10ll of th~ three hun~~ddth Ollilitersarr or t~ fl~st aettltm nt ot Jewa in thl• country. In 1654 their arrivnl !n U Yo.rk: ca l'oported by thJ> f at that nth l rea.cbod. the end of ti. i®abitod enrth QO.litd 1;ew I!ollr:nc..11
~ J lnh C •t•q ia tho 1ooonQ. otao1t bu-rial grountl. in n . Yo.~k \:,1th a.n 'tmbrolton trw tlon. A portion ot Tr~it1 Churob.11.rd ia atill old. r. Th:• •xi .otii;g rtoidurl crc.v.. 1ard on tht r~·C'W Dowoey its . hou t 56 t et lQ~ naa. 50 !e t \ 10..; ich is altto1t idcntioal d.tli tho am.cunt ot la.rul ori- t;incllr purobaioa •tor ,a Jew Bul'ytn ~ rPlac•• in 1682.
The Jetrl.oh C etoey j.ri E1 .-!iOJ:'t pl.lrOhaaod in 1677, "thirty root Loan, »uttlng South w•• t U!_)Oll th• Bi~l th t IA da Do~~ fra:i Yo Ston1 ID.11 ~ (Thi• coula refer to ·he 11 Vik· int: "To:-;vr 1.4. Arnold's 11111) · llaaever tho ta.rli•at to...lbatrx.oa at newport da:t• fr 1761 $!lo tho old: •t in E Yoi-k io 168,. l!D.nJ t>f the atbn11 ue quite into atag. For 1.n1tono1, one rc::iarka.blo •tone depinta th to11k 111cylln1 of l~. fhiD la tho crave ot J)r. ~lter .r .. Judah, ~o gave hia -lire try.in« to 1ave live• in th• Ti llu Fever Epl ic ot th t year. 'lho stc17 is tirltten t.Jtl::. in in,:llah md Pobre • The Englioh 11 dl'oad!ul 0 oontGgiontr , 1 trnnalate4 by Dr. Pool to rena the )'Ollow tlro." •
-2- .lt pointed out by Dr• Pool tlwro nro a mmb r of ReYolutlo ·1'1 1oldlor1 burlea. h ro and. in 190' the Jnerioo.n Soenio and Blator1c Pr•sarntio'll Sooi•tJ plac d a br e tablet on the entrn.noe c&tt. ~ • ., graves are uecorat•d eveey t r ial Day and in 19'2 th• IJsnhattan Chapter of tho D. l · R. ~ d tb.t gra'fel nlth brans& tabletl.t ' ,Burials or aad• 1n thia plot frou. 166' to 18;;1. Today onlr 107 oan be identified. "hen Ucw B " 'l!he ttaolitd map fuQWi the looc.tion ot t :1 Jeni lh Co ..-!)tery, 11 t ·en trt>m Gl~r• Cla.rket a, •nan ~or hatt Civic ~ant r Ll Bolat•d Iunrov~nta;" publithod bf; th tlty Yl...lJl.nint_ Co:iniecion in 19.ltB~ ?"a.T"lber tl on th Mp i& the C • tcry" Tb.o olil Ole~ted tha.t onoe lool .. dorm on tho Cc.cietel'f h.na boe.n rc::10vaa:. Al10 attaoh d io a pliotocraoh ot Dr. D:l.vld do Sola Pool fro"A'.l th.e Ncs:z !or!: Har.1ald 'l'ribu.ne- o:C a ~-.her l,, 1952• it td.11 be ~eiii6er1d tiiiit 1 •ori d l1ith Dr• Pool in tho deal ,.,.atioJ ot fotlN Sfnatogue Ii ticinf.l lliatorio Sit• in Naw port, Rh.oA I•l&lil.. J)r. Pool 11 Rabbi of' the Spanish and Port.. uzuofila Synngoguc in Ee\T Yolk: Cit,. tzc&.J tb.ia little plot la s t i• rathor bad 1urrounc1i~•. Thoug!i vroteot•d b7 a high ire n f tno• end brick :Ule, the nah line .. -0£ t!:.o aurro'Und.lnu te. nt • &i"O strung over tl:- bueying growid• '!ha prop•rt} !G Ottit.cd: by tho CoIL3re! ti on Sha i th Iarael. . he arohi'l'OB of roo York' B Cong1'86&t1on Shoarith I•r••l (o •" o! tho TO\lro ~ucue, r . ~ ort. Rho~• l•lar.d) aro oma21ntl7 rlGL 1n te.rlal.1 'bonoeming th• C ete17 • You will have n~tio1d the oontro.vor&f oYor jbrah Lincoln' 1 ha::io . io 9prinaf'i1lcl. •t oql .r a tho house patntod .J\on Unoohl liv•d in 1 t in l&O? No one reall7 ~OtJG . Bot7•ver, the Jewish .lrohivou diacloa• tho a pe no• o! tho tlli &Nund the cemet•rf• roar by 7e0l', in c. ealth ot d•t 11. Fo:r eznmpl•• crlginallf a l.eno• or modJn rioketa, tt. l7,1.•30 a. ato.ne mul wa1 hui lt. R•-oairod iD 17511 111dn• t"ott hich !ro::i t £ tnd tion, t011 !1et thick. By . ; , • 1761 the m:Ul aa whi.ta a.ohed eTeJ.7 nprl!Jti. In li05 op1ked ·nail voro plaoed an tho top of th• all. In l8l.' uboard1 palntta and lettered o££•riag n rd1 to apprehc.nd troaapa•••r••• Thia takes ws to one of our od rn probl s• uhiob ro lly im.• t so odem,-Yopialir;n. Tpe_ Ii. Yoclt e.e~ Poat to~ 1.n 1746 deplored tha -..ndall111 in £Ii8 o it J!¥ on JO••Ph fleraon 1• hi:i a1.1tobiograpby continued to deplore the Y dali of hi• dey. !n CJi.e.ctill( uo t1o oo ts of obvllah ~b r of tho eon~o ni1CJn . a did not t ti oon rlbute to the 'buildlt;:; 01· a ctcho ~1 to r 'f nt v ndal; ~ D• could a- no •Ii for tho 11 c.a ttoa on th ~ai • ooul~n ft got out ana uo th otitsi b4a to•li•a ~&U[,h to \,inlt to c;ot m. 'lho hi torr ot t4e J inh Cc t ey i:.1 , ll outlinod .91 1'·. Pool in hi • ·•nc.ono £ r tr.o propocal to rmko tho J Dr. Pool ata.t11 tlw.t tti.t i•aot lead .tlctu ore rc~oved by tllo· 8 Dritliih ~ol&ior~ uurlng the Retol- ut1911 and molt•#! oo fo.r unition. • !Ii• t:vpo of atatccon-t alway• int rents ae. It 11 se like th• populor llorriato ~ ntory; t~t bp ~i•k onved Mr h•rac fr• tho thieving Bri ti~h ooldittr ,nc:>t !re.a 11 ot the Contincat•l Lina. I ca.n £1Jid no aouro . for Dr. Pool'·• 1to17, but if the ioo.d DD 1'1Q.0Vtd in l'fl• it ulcl N l03ical .to IJU,!O•I thnt 1 t n none b7 rton:a aoliicre, •h• re-117 nee8ei it, atd not b;r the uell uppli '1 irlt1.nh mi. no roaaor. to go to c ll this troubl • .. t -4- nr. Pool's tate:umt reco..rding the c:nplao «llt at . batters O! cuno in tbs c otel')" for t~ detens• or the Baat Rivor tiny b found in The appr.a of GctiOral Charle• Le~.1 Voluoo I- v a• ;54. I • Att oh a in oow of tho Protaoo to Dl'· Pool• o torthorolng be»ok en tho Ceuetoir/. 4?hi1t Prof ao C.Ontnlno nr. 8 l-ool 1 D argttl!!:nts that tho C l>t l"j' m:irl'Ol'a th gro h ot the Jt\ lab Co:.nunit7 of J; York. • . S.w rnl 70 ra '"'01 li'-o.{t }).ro nt tl¢n to dvic cy Bo 1'1, I re ort d n St. 'u Chw:oh l..orr1 la ().nd th. f ~ea of th Corria tc:Ul in tho Bro • At its oti m of Aprl 28-}0, 19liD1 the D~nrd el ppro d tbo da ignntion of St. Ann's as mtimuu hiatorl.o sit I do not Jmo methor ~ etiOJl WG.9 taken on 11. 'R· 6h6; mtrod\:Cad, P•bru 11. 6, 1952. yrovld .. lnG for tho doal .t!on or f;a.lnt h .. ' ChurCh.vnrG.. Th.La ooporo.tlon or tho Chm'OhJarcl fro;a tl. Ch roli. l taelf filght hnv oo:ie boarlng on tho pre aon t queo icn. iino.ll.f1 0,7 I ot&te tb.at to th J , C "1' tsey ha.a a tJ.'loraeWiou.p igni.lionnc • 'l'ao irapo~onoe of a anot of eo.rth th '1. oovld ronll7 c'1 l thoiu own 1 vinel-1 ~cmn by Dr. Pool ill tho foUcmlng st t . n.ti -In J iah llfo to n creator dBf.IF ~ th~ !s o~c nl.y round ol e er ~ tno oatabli heent of oo n oonaeorctoa bur!Ql ground is ni8llifloant ill.Et- of pcrcc.ncnt oottlc~cn~ . In medieval (lo y the oeolll :r aU:t.hovitio oulc.. a 'tlm•• nntte and olatsolff J8\llah oommunlt-ioo by tho o turlos \Al.2 oh thoy uoOd. i'he cemeterr aervod a thQ poUll.nont £tOO"ranl:iio nuol r lUl1t ot occnunft1 orgnnimi.ticm. At l~ at it l; o lqOvafilo proporty, ile tho 15.vi:t. .. J•ri, tho quarcy of t!latll a brutal oan hunt,, for his OkQ. p,,.ti ~4tct,lon h a tc bQ 0. r.iovable ohattol ot tuo 100·0.1 ioudnl J>rino • Abrobeo o. eoriboa h.iasol · o.a a otrcngor nrui o. GO journor" in the land of Qanoan until tho oe.ve in the !iold of ohp lah m..s "uaclo aure unto him for. tho poaoosalon of bueyl~ plaoe. 11 Ho toolt oni!est titlo to hitJ 110rcnnent aattlo :.cnt in tho lond h n tho bu;.yhig •• .. 1 ·•· plao• bto Q hlo aauurad paaa a1ion1 ond tba uust of hi• · bolovod 8al"ah was ocins1[od tQ t~ nol.l. So hon tho Jen ol I:ew Anato:rd in 165 applied for poiml.tsion to obtain a tJ tory they •hou a 07c;nd all' a.oubt that they intona.a. to rcqs.in ln thi• paft of the lie 10l1li. and throw In tLoiP lot ith tho nett colo~ . " · rra.noi• s. Rol\ald• Sup•~U.teiident ,, .. Con to: a. 1onal Director, Region One "1J'.R - bf' "tr'~~~~~~~~- 0 p • y REASONS FOR THE PROPosAI. TO MAKE THE Jl!W]SH CEMETERY ON THE N»l BOWERY BEl'!W CHATHAN SQUARE m NElil YORK c!i:fl INTO A · NATIONAL .HLSTORIC SJ:TE D es New ?ork City" 1s Jewisli Congregation Shearith iEsrael was fo\1¢ed in l6SS. Its earliest cemetery .sti.U existing is ~t on the New 'Bowery be!ow Chatham Square. :Pbe original piecl!. of land form:blg tlie nuclel}s of that 1ceme:tecy was purchased in 1682. The oldest exist'lnc tombstone m the grOund is da.ted 1683. 'l'h&re. are record:J of other intermen& i:n tlie g:t0und and tombstones from 1690 1 ll6~4 ., 1697, and 16'9. Frotn Ji,704 on there.are numerous recogni zable and identl!:$±•bl~ graves. At various times the burial ground was t!ilarged. A·t the time of its greatest e.JEtent it reached from Park Row down to James Street .and up to C::hatham Square. The. present reduced dimension9 of the ground are du.e to enc:roacbmen:t:of of the city, the last being :Ln lB.SS when the New Bowery was cut through. At tbat time, the Span!sh and PoJ7tuguese cocgr.egatfon removed 256 graves to· its ceme.tery on.i ~st Street, west of S"Uth Avenue. ln March, 1766., the high ground or the: cemetery wa~ used as 'bhe emplacement of a pat.ter,y of guns to command fhe East R.1:ver. Oenerf.Ji Charles Lea wrote to George Washington :uhat he had placed a ba:t.ter,y a-t the foot 0£ ~ Jewish lSUrying ground and guns in bar~ette on t:tle ll~ights of the Jewish bueying ground. . Another sq.enm wd. tness from revDl.di.1onary times is presentec\ by two (:La.t tombst6n,es wi>tn eJl!>W rectangular dep~ssP.,ons ~ their upper hall. Th~se depressions origd.na!Q.y contained inset lead plates inscribed with the ~itaph of those intor;oed beneath the stone. The lead was remQved by ~itd.sh soldiers during the Revolution and melted down ~or amn;im!f:tion. Deserters and prisoners of war were paraded ~ the Br:i-t±sh and shot bJ them on the high ground by this Jewish burying groWid. The cemetery bears steady wi,tness to friendlyre11.atio~ qong the citizens o! New York. !busiJ the Spanisn and 'Portuguese Congregation, the owner of the ~emeter.r, granted p~rmiSsiOn to John Roosevelt, the great.. gl'l8&t-grea1l'!'!grandf'atlier ot' President Theodore Roosev~lt,. to use some of thed.r unused. land for a rent of three P.eppercorns a year. ~ter1 tne congregatioQ bought fran a later John Roosevelt1 the great-great-grandfatll!'!r of President Frank~ DelanQ Roosevelt, some land which it need~d to enlarge the ground. In the year 1789, when the very: e.xistence of the cemetery was t~tene4 by subsidence§ of the sur~a9e soil, a group of promd:nent Chri.st~n citizens of the ~ty spontaneously made a c;ol;J.ection oii fupds to belp s~ve the cemetery ~m dlaintegration. Inscrit>tiops on the tombstones are .found in. five languagtils., Hebrew;1 . Englii.sh, Portuguese., ·Spailish and Latin. Some of the inscriptions are of unusual interest in the history of the aity. Such is tha.11 on the stone of Walter J;. Judah "r;rtudent of physic, who worn down by fui:s exertions I to alileviate the sufferings of his fellow citizens in that areadful contagion that visited the City of New .York in 1798, rell a victim in the cause ~f humanity, the ••• 15th of September, 1798,, Aet. 20 years, 5 months and 11 days. n In this ground are found the graves and often the tombsto~s of numerous men who have filled a no~ble p11.ace ~ the story of t he city. For instance, there is the grave of Rabbi Gershom Mendes Seixas, the patriot rabbi of the Revolution who closed the synagogue in the city when the British were about to enter. New York, and disper.sed the con gregation rather than serve under the Brj,.tish occupation. Rabbi Seixas was one of the ilnoorporators of Columoi@, University. There is the grave of ISaac Moses whom Benjamin Franklin called "my friend of austere culture and true knowledge", who signed bills of credit for the Continenta1 Congress; of Benjamin Jacobs, a member of the Continental Congress of !l.776, who also served in the pa:triot army and signed biJ.+s of credit for the Continental. Congress; of Ha~an Levy a signer of non ilq> ortation resolut;i.ona, who also served in the American army; of Benjamin M. Seixas, a lieutenant in the patriot forces; of Simon Nathan, also a patriot soldier, who advanced large sums ol. money to help the American cause; or Jacob Hart who advanced money to General La,fayette to clothe and feed his troops; of Jonas Phill:-ips,, ~nother soldier ih the American forces and a signer of non-importainon resolutions; of David Hays whose home was bumed by the Tories lihile he was serving with the American army, and of other notable pat.riots. Indeed, on Decoration Day every year the graves of no less than eighteen men buried in this little cemetery are decorated because of service which they gave to the Rmlution. This cemetecy is one of the very few remaining seventeenth century historic sites in New York 9ity. Dating from 1682, it is a rare his torical site with. unusual p~triotic associations in a city in which each era so readily obliterates its predecessors. It is therefore asked that this ground,, which it is planned to inc11.u4,e in the park wstem of New York City's expanded civic center, should be of.ficially designated as a national historic site.