Henry Waxman: “American Jewish history commenced in 1492 with the expulsion of Jews from Spain. This action set off a period of intense…”

“American Jewish history commenced in 1492 with the expulsion of Jews from Spain. This action set off a period of intense Jewish migration. Seeking to escape the clutches of the Inquisition, some Jews in the 16th century sought refuge in the young Calvinist republic of the Netherlands. A century later hundreds of their descendants crossed the ocean to settle in the new Dutch colony of Recife in Brazil, where Jewish communal life became possible for the first time in the New World. When Portugal recaptured this colony in 1654, its Jews scattered to the Dutch port of New Amsterdam, now New York City. Colonial Jews never exceeded 1/10 of 1 percent of the American population; yet they established the patterns of Jewish communal life that persisted for generations. Jews lived in cosmopolitan cities like New York where there were opportunities for commerce and trade and organized synagogue communities. Charleston, Philadelphia, New York, and Newport each had one synagogue that assumed responsibility for the religious and communal needs of all local Jews. Early Jewish Americans explored, wrote poetry, and created industries. Jews have continued to make important contributions to the history and culture of America. During 2004 and 2005, 350 years of Jewish life in America will be commemorated, honored, and celebrated.”