Article Entitled "The Cincinnati [Jewish] Community in 1825" by Rev David Philipson D. D.

1902

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American Jewish Historical Society
 
This communication, yellow with the wear of time, is the oldest manuscript document I have come across touching Jewish affairs in the pioneer Western community and is well worthy a place among the publications of our Society. It reads as follows:
 
To the Elders of the Jewish Congregation of Charleston:
 
Gentlemen: - Being disputed 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 neighborhood of a congregation, they often marry with Christians, and their posterity lose the true worship of God forever; we have, at this 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 would have lain among Christians; one of our members also sets as  shoham. It will therefore be seen that nothing has been left undone, which 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, than 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 know both in Philadelphia and