On the recordMay 26, 2010
I am very pleased, as the only Jewish member of the Pennsylvania delegation, to be able to speak tonight a bit about the contributions of Pennsylvania's Jewish communities, in particular, Philadelphia's Jewish community and the contributions we made. William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania in 1682 as a colony, did so making sure that the colony was based on religious tolerance. The Philadelphia Jewish community has been around for a very long time and really came really expecting and being honored to be able to experience that religious tolerance, particularly in Philadelphia, and has been a part of Jewish Philadelphia and the Philadelphia community for generations. As early as 1735, Nathan Levy established himself in the import/export trade with his cousin David Franks in the bustling Philadelphia port.
