OSCAR S. STRAUS.
Membrr lVrmanrnt Court of Aribtra
tlon at Tbe Ilagur.
IT is now 250 years since the first He
brew, whose name has been pre
served, arrived on American soil.
Ke was Jacob Bar Slmson.
He came to New Amsterdam from
Hollaed on the Pear Tree on July
8. 1C54, followed in the same year
by a band of twenty-three refugees, prob
ably from Brazil, on the St. Catarina.
The first arrivals in New York met an
unfriendly reception, utterly at variance
with the Dutch character. They were a
small band of refugees, probably from
Brazil, and expected to find in New Am
y *terdam a haven of rest after their
weary pilgrimage. They were regarded,
however, with little sympathy.
The settlement of the Hebrews on the
American continent antedates by fully a
century the settlement of Jamestown and
me coming of the Pilgrims and
the Puritans. The world's history is
linked together far closer than a super
fi< ial observer imagines.
Tt is known beyond doubt that there
were at least five Hebrews with Colum
ns—the interpreter, the doctor and the
• surgeon cf tho fleet, besides two sailers.
Emilio Castrlar. the statesman of mod
ern Spain and her President in 1573 dur
ing the hundred days of her republican
ic-gime. as well as the historian Kay
certifies that the closing chapter
of the professors of Judaism on the Ibe
rian Peninsula was the beginning- of their
history upon the American continent.
Among the earliest and certainly by far
the most,, advanced and intelligent of the.
colonists who came to the aetr world were
fugitives from the Inquisition, who were
chiefly Hebrews.
It is an undoubted fact that the He
brews were among the first white settlers
in large numbers on the American conti
nent. Their first coming within tne limits
< 1' the United Stutt-s was only thirty-four
v*>ars after the arrival of the Pilgrim
Fathers on the shores of New England.
They participated in the war of the rev
elation and gave in proportion to their
numbers more than their quota of officers,
men and moafy to the patriots' cause.
No less than 7000 Hebrews, officers and
men, participated in the Civil War.
In Newport and Philadelphia.
The earliest Hebrew community in the
United States after that in New York
was that at Newport, R. 1., which traces
:;s beginnings to emigrants ' from New
Amsterdam in 1G55, due probably to the
chilling atmosphere of the Dutch town.
More families followed, attracted by the
liberal principles adopted by Roger Wil
liams as the basis of his commonwealth.
About a century later important acces
sions were made of settlers from Spain.
Portugal and the West Indies. In 1763 a
synagogue was dedicated, there being
Then about sixty-iive families, including
merchants of high standing, among oth
ers Aaron Loi>ez, a rich ship owner, and
Jneob Rodriguez Rivera, who introduced
the manufacture of spermaceti into
America. The revolution dispersed the
Hebrew community, which settled In
other sections, the city losing gradually
its commercial prestige. The Touro fam
ily bequeathed a turn sufficient to main
tain the old cemetery and synagogue, the
latter a good illustration of old colonial
architecture, and after long years of si
lence it is again occupied for worship.
Judah Touro Is one of the truly famous
r.ames xn American Hebrew history.
In Pennsylvania the only Hebrew
settlers were of German stock, Lan
caster and Easton being the oldest
, communities, Joseph Simon, Myor Hart
and Aaron Ltvy being pioneers. In
Philadelphia records are kept of two
early settlers, Jonas Aaron (1703) and
Arnold Bamberger (1726 j». The first
assembly for public worship dates from
1747. The Rev. G. M. Seixas. favorably
known for his patriotism, with a num
i Ver of Hebrews who escaped British -
lie in New York, established the first
Portuguese synagogue during the
Revolution. The Philadelphia com
munity rapidly increased In numbers
and influence. Here was established
the first Sunday-school (1S38). in
which Rebecca Gratz, whom Washing
ton Irving suggested a model for Re
becca in "Ivanhoe," was the leading
spirit, and the first short-lived Hebrew
college <I 867). due greatly to the initia
tive of Is*ac Lecser, preacher, editor,
publisher, translator and Indefatigable
worker. In later years Sabato Morals
- was the founder of the New York Semi
nary, and Marcus Yestrow was the first I
to pVepare an English dictionary of the i
Talmud. Philadelphia, too, was to be •
the s-at of an active publication .„
society, and through two of its younger •
rabbis. Berkowitz and Krauskopf. ap
plied the Chautauqua idea to education
and organized a farm school for teach- i
ing agriculture to youth. Two mem- <
bers of the Philadelphia community 1
merit memtion, among others, for their j
patriotic attitude during the Revolu
tion—Michael Gratz and Haym Solo
mon. The latter, like Isaac Moses of «'
New York, powerfully aided Robert 1
Morris. The Solomon heirs have never t
been repaid the advances made to the j
provisional g-overnment. j
la the Sunny South. »
Hebrews came to Georgia In the same
year with Oglethorpe, and six were
granted by him full rights as original J
settlers (December 21, 1733). Among *
>he colonists Abraham de Lyon Intro- \
4*uced grape culture. In the Revolution i
Mfc Hebrews of Savannah were stanch
patriots, and on Its capture by the Brit-
Ish in 177S MonSecai Sheftall and his son.
both officers In the Colonial army, were °
confined In the Drf*WJ »nln. JCot less t
notable were the Hebrews of Charles
ton, a close study of whose history has
just been made by Dr. Elzas of that
city. Their oldest congregation dates
from 1750. The community increased
so rapidly that a new synagogue was
erected in 1794, their strength being
augmented after the Revolution by the
settlement there of many New York
Hebrews. Francis Salvador was a
friend of the patriotic leaders. In later
deca4es the community was to form
one of the largest and most cultured in
the land, and the Hart, De Leon. Moisse,
Lopez.-Lazarus and Cohen families gave
dignity and distinction to the Charles
ton Hebrews. Here, too, was the home
of Penina Morse (1797-1SS0) the poet,
whose hymns have long been chanted
in the Sunday-schools.
In Maryland, where the "Jew doctor."
Jacob Lumbrozo, was tried in 1658 for
blasphemy, it was many years before full
religious liberty was granted, and not un
til 1824 that two Hebrew officeholders
were elected without being obliged finally
to declare their belief in the Christian
religion. To-day they are prominent in
art. law. science and the university
world, as well as in commerce.
In "Louisiana the Hebrews have pros
pered since Judah Touro saw service at
the battle of New Orleans, and have sent
their representatives to the State Legisla
ture and National Congress, as have other
States of the South. Among those were
Philip Phillips, Judah P. Benjamin, Ben
jamin F. Jonas, "L. C. Levin, Isidor Ray
ner and David S. Kaufman.
Hebrews took an active part in the de-
What American Hebrews
Have Done.
THE American Hebrew is a fac
tor in American life, and not
an unimportant one. Numeri
cally there are a million and a
half Hebrews in the 'United
< States— about 2 per cent of the
total population, yet it Is a 'question
whether any other single element
in the population has accomplished bo
much toward the development of the
wealth and power of the States as this
one during the 250 years since the He
brews first settled in the land. v
There are some 750,000 Hebrews in New
York now, as many as in all the rest of
the United "Etates.- These constitute 20
per cent of the total population of this
Western metropolis. The contribution of
the Bebrew to the building of the commer
cial and financial supremacy of New York
has been more than proportionate to his
numbers, for the Hebrew has had gen
erations of training in commerce and
finance which well prepares him for city
life In the metropolitan business circles.
A study of the pursuits followed by
the Hebrew is interesting, for it is a
mistake to think that the Hebrew 13
either a middleman or a small dealer.
There is scarcely any trade or profes
sion In which he will not be found, and
while he is not afraid of manual labor
the tendency Is to combine this with
Intellectual effort. Hebrews are pro
3ucers, not merely in the narrow sense
that the farmer Is a producer by sow
ing the seed and reaping ten or twenty
Cold, but with raw material and the
application of labor (hey produce the
Inished article. . They are producers,
.00, in another sense, making new-mar
cets for productions of all kinds, and
joining the ends of the earth by a com
nunlty of interests.
In art America has given to the,
vorld several first-class artists like
JSzekiel, the sculptor, and Mosler, the
lalntcr, besides many lesser lights. ll
u&trators and caricaturists.
The Hebrew has always . been,, at
racted to Journalism, and his power 'of
ireanizatlon, study of details and ln
ellectual readiness have made him sue-
WHAT THE HEBREW HAS
DONE IN 250 YEARS
HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN BUSINESS. THE PROFESSIONS ART,
SCIENCE, LITERATURE AND PHILANTHROPY
velopment of Texas. Samuel Israel, Abra- ]
ham C. Labatt, Jacob de Cordova and ;
Henry Castro were among the pioneers. \u25a0.'
Virginia formed its first v congregation <
about 1791, although some immigrants set- .
tied within the limits of the State a cen- !
tury earlier.
In the emigration that led .to the up-;
building of cities in the Ohio Valley He- ;
brews were participants. ' In Ohio the first
Hebrew settler was Joseph Jonas, who
arrived in Cincinnati March 8, 1817. What
a change in ninety years ;In that 'city, !
whose Hebrew community ranks among!
the most public spirited and progressive ;
in the country! Here is the Hebrew. Un- !
ion College, where • graduates fill many ',
important Jewish pulpits; and here, too, >
labored for many decades Drs. I. M." Wise!
and Max Lillenthal. ;
The Hebrews of Chicago date their be-!
ginnings from 1841-3. To-day the commu- J
nlty closely competes with New York in <
its curious contrast between the old-fash- \
ioned and new-fashioned elements. • '
Hebrews were among the gold-seekers!
in California in 1549, and have done more J
than their share in the development of <
the Northwest, its mines and j seas and !
railways, with men like Sutro, Michael ]
Reese, Sloss. Gerstle, Friedlander, Hell- <
man, Rosenfeld, the" members of the j
Alaska Commercial and the North Ameri- 1
can Commercial companies. Over one ]
hundred Hebrews were in the First Call- <
fornia ' Volunteers, that saw service in <
the Philippines, and Jacob Voorsanger, ]
rabbi, professor and editor, of San Fran- <
cisco was one of the founders of the)
California Red Cross Society.- ' - j
cessful in this field. One is the in
ventor of the so-called yellow Journal
ism; another Is -trie manager of "AH
the news that's fit to print," and be
tween these are. Journalists large and
small, managers, editors and hundreds
of bright reporters.
The contributions of the Hebrew
mind to permanent American literature
are not very numerous. There .have
been tuneful poets, like Emma Lazarus,
and Penina Moise: a few, novelists and
essayists. .'One noteworthy production
of American Hebrew scholarship Is the
Jewish encyclopaedia, Just completed.
It Is the general impression that the
Hebrew is first and always a business
man, end it is true that for ; many cen
turies the denial of his right-to enter
any profession savo that of medicine
drove him to commercial pursuits, but ':
as soon as the '. shackies were removed
he hastened into' the learned, profes
sions. That this Is sols proved by the
fact that in almost every Hebrew fam
ily there is at least one lawyer or phy
sician. ••'\u25a0'-; '\u25a0\u25a0.*. \u25a0" . "\u25a0 . . \u25a0 : J-.-
It Is no exaggeration to estimate the
percentage' of .Hebrew; lawyers as "at
least 50 per cent and that of physi
cians as not less than 45 per cent:
Many in each of. these professions have
attained eminence," for there have been o
and are several \ Judges -on the bench
of the courts and some of the leading
medical authorities are of : . Hebrew
stock.
Politically, especially in New York,*the
Hebrew element is one to be "reckoned
with. - The alignment b;: however, -never,
made along religious lines.". The Hebrews
belong to all ; political 'parties', yand'.' as) a.
rule cast an intelligent jvote." It /has-been,
proved that in campaigns * where ques- -.-.
tions of morality or ; political". purity are
issues a large vote ", f or )\u25a0 the better! side |
comes from the notably Hebrew districts.'
The Hebrews havenot,"' however, -made' It *
a point of haying};: full $ representation! \u25a0
. though 'many have served ' in \u25a0 offices from i
Aldermen to jUnlted I States" Senator.^ One '.
of : the best types ; bf -\u25a0 statesmen, . serving :•?
bis country at personal .sacrifice," is that },
THE SAN;- : FRANCISCO; : ;CXLI2:
i of Oscar S. Straus, Minister (under Dem
! ocratic and Republican regime alike) to
! Turkey, and active still lln the ; Interest
!of peace between nations and between
[employers anu employes.
| • It is not eenerally known that Hebrews
> took an active part in the agitation which
[led finally to the Declaration; of Inde
> pendence, the documentary proof of which
(lies in the non-importation resolution of
j .1765, a copy of which is preserved in Car
penters' Hall, Philadelphia, and bears dis
tinctive Hebrew names. They are.Sam
son Levy, Benjamin Levy, Joseph Ja
[cobs, Hyman Levy Jr., David Pranks,
| Mathias Bush, Michael Gratz, Barnard
> Gratz and Moses Mordecai.
| A large number of Hebrews fought in
> the revolutionary war, and Haym Solo-
Jmon of Philadelphia loaned the revolu
[ tlonists the then enormous sum of JGOO.OOo.
! not a cent of which has ever been repaid
Ito him or his heirs. An entire volume,
i showing how large the contribution of the
I Hebrews has been to the armie^ of the
United States has been published by
! Simon Wolf and there it is notably, proven
; that the Hebrew has been always ready
1 to volunteer for the service of his coun
try in even greater proportion than might
| have been required. 1 More than 4000 He-
•brews were In the army during the late
war with Spain, and even ; among- j the •
."Rough : Riders" there were seven.
As was only natural,' the Hebrews
' have • taken [= part :, in financial business
to a large degree; for they; had been the
world's, first financiers, ; and 'their.:in
t'ernatlonal- connections 'have ',y\ given
them special facilities \ for, the carrylngr
on of exchange between nations. ©rte r
, of the founders, of the Stock Exchange
\was a Hebrew." '>:''\u25a0\u25a0.'.'\u25a0 : \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0'"'y'V :*
V^The wide variety of jHebrew pursuits
is little 1 appreciated; yet it is difficult to
; find | any- trade, profession Vor; business K
in- which \u25a0; they, do<not*play^ some' part. '
They i have = rolling) mills I and- steel • f ur- "
naces, 1 woolen. mills saw 'mills; 7 the .
inventors of commercial^ 1 , yeast : was , a-
Hebrew. ;r The -Hebrews "carry i; on; a '
large j part of ;the .tobacco business, both 1
in :" the , leaf f and* in ; manufacturing.^ There 1
are; Hebrew >-and^ civil ; en- :
; gineers, : and; there are" Hebrew 'igradu- :
ates'of Annapolis and;of. West Points fi'-,"
In ttiorbuilding VI trades':; more ?-'and.
more «' Hebrew,^ carpenters, \u25a0 j masons i and
glaziers' are being: employed,*; especially,*
in : ; New,:.Tork iCityi*; where > the l' Hebrews 'g
f are ; taking. so .prominent ! a par t- in ; eon- ;?
i tracting and ; building.'iThey. are spread
: lngr.!out j" also '^intor the % country,';, taking \u25a0
-:-- :. \u25a0••\u25a0• .•: \u25a0 1 - i .-;- ; "\u25a0;.'».\u25a0.\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0:\u25a0..\u25a0\u25a0-.\u25a0 "\u25a0:
up, the deserted farms o£ New England,
cultivating:; the soil "of. \ New. Jersey; and
establishing ; farms :'\u25a0 even ;In the IDako
tas. > •( It "i is estimated that the Hebrew
f ami population -Is between ;10,000* and
i 5.000. . i'^9^^n^^^g^Sj^SSß9S
."As teachers, the .Hebrews- have, also
beenTsuccessful.; probably -by~ heredity,
for, this ; has f been a \u25a0; favorite i profession
for . many 'centuries. V? In they develop
mentfof the. Intellectual < life of i\u25a0; the
country the. Hebrewis v alreadyjdoingr
his share, but that 1 work will be greatly,
increased J,with:the»added* force* of * the
.thousands of 'ambitious young men .who
: have . ; lately^ arrived * here.., In? thel bus!-;
ness i worlds he .will ]] to h pro
gress*' extending . his activities ; tolmahyi
industries ; as i he « finds ' room . for : his in
genuity; and industry.'. - - ' l% -^
Hebrews
in
Philanthropy
and
Society.
FROM the sociological side the
American Hebrew has had
many problems to solve. The
three separate and distinct
tides and -types of immigra
tion have made It possible to
dispose of these 'problems gradually
and in turn. Those first settling in the
United States were chiefly of Portu
guese stock, and equipped as they were
with .culture and means they took
part in the affairs of the colonies on a
par, with other settlers," reserving only
the ' right to worship God when and
how they pleased.-- *
When the great German influx began
in 1848 ' and 1 thereabout ; different prob
lems'arose. The Americanized He
brews who had been in 'the country for
several generations 'were • not over
pleased . to see the* uncultured, poverty
stricken men. pour into the States, and,
while, they helped them- when in dis
tress,' they -were refused admittance
iritol their family circles. But the Ger
mans were Independent and formed
their own religious and social organiza
tions. They went ".further and began
the great reform religious movement of
which > ohlyi mutterings had been heard
before. ..They; founded!" benevolent or
ders," which established asylums, homes'
and ; hospitals in/; many of " the large '
cltlaa. Each congregation &ad tta
charity branch, generally In th» hands
of the women, and the foundations of
the philanthropic institutions wcr*
broadly laid.
Clubs were formed after the Ger
man model, where men and women as
sembled for social pleasures, and in th«
course of time the German element be
came dominant and more conspicuous
than the Portuguese congregations by
mere force of numbers.
Twenty-five years ago the poor wir»
limited in numbers and well cared for.
The criminal was so exceptional a* to bm
almost negligible. Then came ths perse
cutions in Russia and Roumaala, and
hundreds of thousands of more or less
he'.pless men were driven to America.
Baron de Hirsch, recomlzln? tha imme
diate need, established the Hirsch trust.
which has taken upon Itself tha Btrensth
ening of the weak links in tha philan
thropic chain and the supplying of miss
ing links. By the aid of the trustees of
thta fund the great Educational Alllanca
building was erected in the tenement dis
trict of New York, and as the Jewish
People's Palace it has reached thousands
and hundreds of thousands who mi£bt
otherwise have gone astray. Its purpose
has been, in a word, to transform tha
Immigrant Hebrew of all ages and classes
into the intelligent > and patriotic Ameri
can citizen. The hundred thousand dol
lars that In expended by the alliance
every year Is better spent than nine
tenths of the so-called charity given In
alms. It is truly preventive work, pre
venting crime, preventing ignorance and
euff?rins. preventing degradation. Th»
vast building of the alliance is crowded
at all hours until late at n!ght with the
uplifting work, which an elastic system.
has proved most necessary. Thera are
classes to teach English to young and
old; there are clubs of all kinds stimu
lating thought and bringing culture;
there are classes in cooking. In needle
work, in millinery. In art and music, as
wall a 9 in civics and history. It is a hum
ming hive of Intellectualizlng and moral
izing activity from week end to week end.
The example set by the alliance has
been followed In every large city In tb«
United States, . until now this uplifting
machinery Is at work all over the coun
try.
The material welfare of the immigrants
has been looked after no less carefully,
for it was most necessary- Approved
methods of dispensing monetary aid hava
been adopted by uniting the societies of
each community and forming an intimate
connection between the charities of the
different cities. This "has prevented abuses
such as pauperizing and reduplication, and
. ha 3 introduced a system into the work
and eliminated almost altogether the pos
sibility of Imposition.
Helping the immigrants to help them
selves has been the rule followed from th«
beginning. A policy of distributing tha
laborers is followed constantly in the at
tempt to relieve the great Eastern cities
of congestion. Not only are there em
ployment bureaus, but there are labor dis
tribution offices, which send thousands of
workmen to those points where employ
ment i 3 waiting: for them.
Agricultural colonies have been founded
In New Jersey, and many farmers have
bean established on the deserted farms of
New Ensland and In tbe Far West. The
agencies have learned how to select thoso^
adapted to farm life, and the distribution
of these goes on apace. In order to train
the young for farm life the National Farm
School has been founded near Philadel
phia by Dr. Joseph Krauskopf and Its
graduates are sent annually to the State .
agricultural stations and in time will act
as leaders of farm colonies.
The life of the working: girl Is cared for
In such institutions as the Baroness de
Hlrsch Working Girls' Home, where thu
unprotected working girl find 3 not only a
home. . but also many opportunities for
elevating herself and, improving her con
dition.
It was no small task for ths three hun
dred thousand American Hebrews to care
for and lead four times their own number
within the last twenty-flve years, yet that
is precisely: what they have had to do.
.The responsiveness of their charges has
aided materially in the work. The poor
have; helped one another greatly. They
have done so even to the extent of found-
Ing Inns for temporary aid. loan societies
and hospitals.