Cincinnati Jews Appeal for Funds for a Synagogue, 1825
To the Elders of the Jewish Congregation at Charleston:
GENTLEMEN!—Being deputed by our congregation in this place, as their committee to address you in behalf of our holy religion, separated as we are and scattered through the wilds of America as children of the same family and faith, we consider it as our duty to apply to you for assistance in the erection of a House to worship the God of our forefathers, agreeably to the Jewish faith; we have always performed all in our power to promote Judaism, and for the last four or five years we have congregated, where, a few years before, nothing was heard, but the howling of wild beasts, and the more hideous cry of savage man. We are well assured that many Jews are lost in this country from not being in the neighbourhood of a congregation, they often marry with Christians, and their posterity lose the true worship of god for ever; we have at the time, a room fitted up for a Synagogue, two Manuscripts of the law, and a burying ground in which we have already interred four persons who, but for us, must have lain among Christians, one of our members also acts shohet. It will therefore, be seen that nothing has been left undone, whi[c]h could be performed by eighteen assessed and six unassessed members. Two of the deceased persons were poor strangers, and buried at the expense of the congregation, one of whom was brought to be interred from Louisville, a distance of near 200 miles. To you, gentlemen, we are mostly strangers, and have no further claim on you that of children of the same faith and family, requesting your pious and laudable assistance to promote the decrees of our holy religion. Several of our members are however well known both to you Philadelphia and New York—namely, Mr. Samuel Joseph, formerly of Philadelphia, Messrs. Moses and Jonas, and Mr. Jose[h Jonas, the two Mr. Jonas’s have both married daughters of the late Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas of New York. Therefore, with confidence, we solicit your aid to this truly pious undertaking; we are unable to defray the whole expense, and have made application to you as well as the other principal congregations in America and England, and have no doubt of ultimate success. It is also worthy of remark that there is not a congregation within 500 miles of this city, and we presume it is well known how easy of access we are to New Orleans, and we are well informed that, had we a synagogue here, hundreds from this city, who now know and see nothing of their religion, would frequently attend here during holidays. With sentiments of respect and esteem, we are gentlemen,
Your obedient servants,
T. Joseph, Ch’m.
Joseph Jonas.
D.J. Johnson
Phineas Moses
I certify the above is agreeable to a resolution of the Hebrew congregation in Cincinnati.
JOSEPH JONAS, PARNASS. July 3, 1825
Questions to Think About and Discuss
- Why did Cincinnati Jews want to build a synagogue?
- What arguments did they use to persuade their coreligionists in Charleston?
- How can you tell from the document that Cincinnati Jews were geographically isolated from other American Jews?
