350 Years of Jews in America
Sermon, July 23, 2004
Rabbi Bruce Kadden
On July 1, my wife Barbara and I drove into Tacoma,
completing our almost 1000-mile journey from Salinas, California. It was a
wonderful trip; we stayed with my parents one night and at a Bed and Breakfast
in Ashland on the way. We saw an Oakland A’s baseball game and a play, ate good
food, and, upon arrival, were warmly greeted by members of the synagogue.
Contrast that trip with a journey taken by a group of 23
Jews who set out from Recife, Brazil. They traveled by ship, were attacked by
pirates along the way, rescued and brought to North America at the cost of
virtually all their possessions. And when they arrived in New Amsterdam, they
were not greeted warmly, but told in no uncertain terms that they would have to
leave.
Such is the story of the first group of Jews to settle in
North America. In 2004 we celebrate the 350th anniversary of this
momentous trip, offering us the opportunity to look back to the history of Jews
in America, to recognize and celebrate the achievements of our ancestors, to
examine the challenges they faced, and to see what lessons we might learn from
this history to help us as we continue to write that history.
It is my custom, during the summer months, to choose a
theme for my sermons. And although we are already well into the summer, I will
continue that practice, by focusing my talks on the history of Jews in America.
I know that you have already gotten a taste of this topic a few weeks ago, when
our President, Glenn Lasko, shared with you stories of the Jewish contributions
to the American Revolution. Over the next two months, I hope to share with you
equally as compelling stories that have served to shape the American Jewish
experience.
This evening we turn to the beginning of the story, and to
23 Jews who undoubtedly had no idea that they were writing the opening chapter
of the story of one of the most important communities in all of Jewish history.
These Jews had found their way to Brazil from Holland.
Many of their ancestors had fled Spain due to the Inquisition, or had been
expelled from Spain or Portugal at the end of the 15th century. Some
families, no doubt, had lived temporarily as conversos (also known pejoratively
as marranos), having outwardly converted to Catholicism to save their lives, but
secretly continuing to practice Judaism.
In Holland, they were allowed to freely practice Judaism,
and many Jews were among the Dutch colonists who made their way to South America
and helped capture certain colonies from the Portuguese. In January, 1654,
however, the Portuguese recaptured a number of these colonies, forcing the Jews
and other Dutch loyalists to flee. Some headed back to Holland; others went to
the islands of the West Indies. In February, one of the last group of Jewish
refugees left Recife, Brazil. Their destination is unclear, but they were
apparently first headed to the French island of Martinique.
However, Howard Sachar reports, “they were intercepted by a
Spanish privateer and compelled to drop anchor in Jamaica, then under Spanish
rule. The passengers were despoiled of all possessions except their clothes and
furniture.” A few Jews who had been baptized were forced to stay behind, but
the rest were allowed to leave. They made their way first to Cape St. Anthony
on the western tip of Cuba, and from there were able to negotiate passage
northward at an exorbitant fee on a French ship, the St. Catherine. Finally, in
September, the 23 Jews arrived in New Amsterdam, ending their arduous journey,
but only beginning the ordeal of theirsettlement.
For they were not welcomed with open arms, but with
hostility and contempt by New Amsterdam’s governor, Peter Stuyvesant. He
immediately wrote to the Dutch West India Company, which controlled the colony,
asking that the Jews be forced to leave. He based his request on practical
grounds, concerned that their indigence would force the community to support
them during the harsh winter months. But Stuyvesant also betrayed his
intolerance, referring to the Jews as “hateful enemies and blasphemers of the
name of Christ.”
The Jews in Amsterdam came to the support of their fellow
Jews across the sea. In their petition to the directors of the Dutch West India
Company, some of whom were Jewish, they sited four reasons why the Jews should
be allowed to stay:
--they couldn’t return to Spain or Portugal because of the
Inquisition;
--they had supported Dutch interests in Brazil;
--the French and English allowed Jews to stay in their colonies;
--and a number of Jews were principal shareholders in the Dutch West India
Company.
In April, 1655 the Dutch West India Company responded to
Stuyvesant’s letter, acknowledging his concern for the difficulties the Jews
presented, but insisting that he nevertheless allow the Jews to “travel and
trade to and in New Netherland and live and remain there, provided the poor
among them shall not become a burden to the company or to the community, but be
supported by their own nation.” The letter said that it would be “somewhat
unreasonable and unfair” to force the Jews to leave because of their support for
the Dutch capture of Brazil and “because of the large amount of capital which
they still have invested in the shares of this company.”
While this letter did not end the conflict –Stuyvesant
tried to exclude Jews from military service, home ownership, and deny them other
rights—it settled the matter of their right to stay and create a home and
community in New Amsterdam.
This incredible story of the first Jewish settlers in North
America contains many themes and lessons that would recur in the ensuing three
and a half centuries. First of all was the arduous journey that brought them
here. Rather than return to Holland, they risked their lives in search of a new
place to settle. Like many of our ancestors, they traveled months by sea to get
here.
They immediately experienced anti-Semitism from Peter
Stuyvesant, but rather than capitulate and move to another place, they insisted
on their right to remain and utilized all of their resources to establish that
right. They benefited from the support of their fellow Jews in Amsterdam, and
political and economic pressure assured that they would be able to stay.
However, they did have to commit to providing the resources so that fellow Jews
would not be a burden on the community.
We learn from this great ordeal three important lessons:
--we must come to the support of our fellow Jews when they
are in need. It would have been easy for the Jews of Amsterdam to ignore the
plight of a handful of Jews so far away. But they stepped in and let their
voices be heard. They affirmed the important teaching: “Kol Yisrael aravim
zeh bazeh, All Israel is responsible one for another.” That has been one of
the secrets to Jewish survival over 4000 years and to the flourishing of the
American Jewish community these past 350 years.
--Secondly, we must use our political and economic
connections to foster our agenda. This idea is controversial, for we have often
been accused of running the world or of controlling international finance. But
we should not let those canards stand in the way of our efforts to utilize all
of our resources, especially when our basic rights are being questioned. We
have been fortunate to have access to political and economic leaders, even
Presidents, and have at times used this access to further our agenda. We have
unfortunately learned too often what happens when we are powerless, and
therefore must not be afraid to exploit the power that we do have to attain our
goals.
--Finally, from the first Jewish settlers here, we have
taken care of our own, assuring that our fellow Jews have the financial and
communal support to survive and thrive. We created Hebrew Free Loan Societies
to help those in need, as well as a network of social services and welfare
organizations to help our fellow Jews. When Jewish doctors could not find jobs
because of discrimination, we created Jewish hospitals. To be sure, our support
did not and should not include only Jews. But first and foremost we have
demonstrated a commitment to other Jews in need.
These lessons have served us well these past 350 years and
embracing them will help assure the continued success and prosperity of the
American Jewish community well into the future.
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