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'''Spanish and Portuguese Jews''', '''Western Sephardim''', or simply '''S&P''' are the oldest [[American Jews|Jewish]] community in the [[United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introduction: Origins of the American Jewish Community |url=https://jwa.org/article/introduction-origins-of-american-jewish-community |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Jewish Women's Archive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-19 |title=Congregational History {{!}} Congregation Shearith Israel- Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue |url=https://www.shearithisrael.org/about/our-history/congregational-history/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |language=en}}</ref>
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{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Spanish-Portuguese Jews in the United States
| region1          = [[Congregation Shearith Israel]]
| pop1            = Unknown
| region2          = [[Congregation Mikveh Israel]]
| pop2            = 200 families
| ref2            = <ref>{{Cite web| title=Congregation Mikveh Israel Plans to Expand | author=Jarrad Saffren | https://www.jewishexponent.com/congregation-mikveh-israel-plans-to-expand/</ref>
| languages        = Modern: [[American English]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[Aramaic]]
Historical: [[Spanish language | Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language | Portuguese]]
| religions        = [[Judaism]] [[Sephardic laws and customs | (Sephardic rite)]]
| related_groups  = Other [[Spanish and Portuguese Jews]], [[Eastern Sephardim | Balkan Sephardim]], [[Paradesi Jews]], [[American Jews]], [[British Jews]], [[History of the Jews in Denmark | Danish Jews]], [[Irish Jews]], [[Anglo-Israelis]], and [[Yekke | Western Ashkenazim]]
}}
'''Spanish-Portuguese Jews''' or simply '''S&P''' are the oldest Jewish community in the [[United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Introduction: Origins of the American Jewish Community |url=https://jwa.org/article/introduction-origins-of-american-jewish-community |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Jewish Women's Archive |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-19 |title=Congregational History {{!}} Congregation Shearith Israel- Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue |url=https://www.shearithisrael.org/about/our-history/congregational-history/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |language=en}}</ref>
== History ==
== History ==
{{Further|History of the Jews in Colonial America|Jews in New Amsterdam|Spanish and Portuguese Jews}}
{{Further|History of the Jews in Colonial America|Jews in New Amsterdam|Spanish and Portuguese Jews}}
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=== Initial settlements ===
=== Initial settlements ===
The first Jews to arrive in North America were 23 [[Sephardic Jews|Sephardim]] fleeing the Portuguese conquest of [[Dutch Brazil]] in 1654.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jews in Colonial New York |url=https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/blog/jews-in-colonial-new-york |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=www.philipsemanorhall.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The New York Historical |url=https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/new-yorks-first-jews-came-from-brazil |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=www.nyhistory.org |language=en}}</ref>
The first Jews to arrive in North America were 23 [[Sephardic Jews|Sephardim]] who fled religious persecution in Brazil after the Portuguese took over and brought the Inquisition in1654.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jews in Colonial New York |url=https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/blog/jews-in-colonial-new-york |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=www.philipsemanorhall.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The New York Historical |url=https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/new-yorks-first-jews-came-from-brazil |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=www.nyhistory.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sephardic Jewish Americans {{!}} Religion and Philosophy {{!}} Research Starters {{!}} EBSCOhost |url=https://www.ebsco.com/ |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=EBSCO |language=en}}</ref> They landed a few days before Rosh Hashana.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Shargel |first=Baila |title=The Jews of Westchester County: A Social History |last2=Drimmer |first2=Harold |publisher=Purple Mountain Press |year=1994}}</ref> Among the prominent people who came were [[Asser Levy]], [[Luis Moises Gomez|Luis Moses Gomez]], Moses and Samuel Levy.<ref name=":1" />


== Military contributions ==
=== Issues with the Reform ===
Not all Spanish-Portuguese were as dedicated to tradition as their fellow congregants. Some, such as [[Isaac Harby]], openly called for [[Reform Judaism|reform]]. Changes included English services, as he claimed that many could not even understand the Hebrew language. Much of his support for reform was due to his belief that his community was ill educated on their own religion and Spanish-Portuguese customs, therefore being defenseless against [[Proselytization and counter-proselytization of Jews|Protestant missionaries]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feldberg |first=Michael |title=Isaac Harby |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Modern_History/1700-1914/America_at_the_Turn_of_the_Century/Sephardic_Immigration/Charleston/americanization.shtml |access-date=2026-06-19 |website=My Jewish Learning |language=en-US}}</ref>


=== Revolutionary War ===
== Contributions to George Washington's success ==
Several Sephardim participated in the American Revolutionary War such as [[Francis Salvador]], [[Haym Salomon]], and Moses Seixas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=U |first=Sephardic |date=2023-05-29 |title=The Sephardic Jews in the American Revolutionary War: Contributions to Independence |url=https://sephardicu.com/sephardic-history/the-sephardic-jews-in-the-american-revolutionary-war-contributions-to-independence/ |access-date=2026-06-07 |website=Sephardic U |language=en-US}}</ref>
Several Sephardim participated in the American Revolutionary War such as [[Francis Salvador]], [[Haym Salomon]], and Moses Seixas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=U |first=Sephardic |date=2023-05-29 |title=The Sephardic Jews in the American Revolutionary War: Contributions to Independence |url=https://sephardicu.com/sephardic-history/the-sephardic-jews-in-the-american-revolutionary-war-contributions-to-independence/ |access-date=2026-06-07 |website=Sephardic U |language=en-US}}</ref> Haym Salomon is considered to be one of the main financiers of the Revolutionary War and key to the success of Washington's Yorktown campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |title=How Haym Salomon Helped to Finance the American Revolution |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/haym-salomon-biography-4178500 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260114193801/https://www.thoughtco.com/haym-salomon-biography-4178500 |archive-date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-09-27 |work=ThoughtCo |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Haym Salomon: Biography & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/Haym-Salomon |access-date= |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Feldstein |first=Zavi |date=2021-06-02 |title=One Jew's Financial Support for the Revolutionary War |url=https://www.americanjewisharchives.org/snapshots/one-jews-financial-support-for-the-revolutionary-war/ |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=American Jewish Archives |language=en-US}}</ref>


=== War of 1812 and Barbary War ===
Francis Salvador was the first Jew killed in the Revolutionary War.<ref>{{Cite web |last=nell_porter_brown@harvard.edu |date=2003-01-01 |title=A "portion of the People" {{!}} Harvard Magazine |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2003/01/a-portion-of-the-people-html |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=www.harvardmagazine.com |language=en}}</ref>
 
In 1790, [https://jewishaction.com/cover-story/moses-seixas-1744-1809-the-promise-of-liberty/ Moses Seixas], the president of Touro Synagogue wrote to George Washington to praise the religious freedoms in the Bill of Rights.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manca |first=Joseph |date=2016-02-01 |title=The Touro Synagogue: Peter Harrison, George Washington, and Religious Freedom in America |url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/the-touro-synagogue-peter-harrison-george-washington-and-religious-freedom-in-america/ |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=Journal of the American Revolution |language=en-US}}</ref> Washington responded affirming that the U.S. government gives '''"to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance"'''—anchored Jews firmly within American religious liberty. <ref>{{Cite web |title=From George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island - Wednesday, August 18, 1790 {{!}} George Washington's Mount Vernon |url=https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/past-projects/quotes/article/for-happily-the-government-of-the-united-states-which-gives-to-bigotry-no-sanction-to-persecution-no-assistance-requires-only-that-they-who-live-under-its-protection-should-demean-themselves-as-good-citizens-in-giving-it-on-all-occasions-their-effectual-s |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=www.mountvernon.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0135 |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=National Archives|title=George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, 18 August 1790}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=George Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island {{!}} Loeb Institute {{!}} Columbian College of Arts & Sciences {{!}} The George Washington University |url=https://loeb.columbian.gwu.edu/george-washingtons-letter-hebrew-congregation-newport-rhode-island |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=Loeb Institute {{!}} Columbian College of Arts & Sciences |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=GEFFEN |first=ByDAVID |date=2026-02-14 |title=George Washington’s role in Jewish freedom in US {{!}} The Jerusalem Post |url=https://www.jpost.com/history/article-886447 |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}</ref>
 
[[Gershom Mendes Seixas]], brother of Moses Seixas, was the cantor of [[Congregation Shearith Israel]], in New York and participated in George Washington's inauguration. He was also one of the founders of [[Columbia College, Columbia University|Columbia College.]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=SEIXAS - JewishEncyclopedia.com |url=https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13396-seixas |access-date=2026-09-27 |website=www.jewishencyclopedia.com}}</ref>


== Culture, traditions, and customs ==
== Culture, traditions, and customs ==
=== Language ===
=== Language ===
Despite the name, most Spanish-Portuguese in the United States do not speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] nor [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], and any vestiges of either language remain only in the Hebrew pronunciation and traditional liturgy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shearith Israel, Oldest Synagogue Here, Rich with Hoary Memories |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/shearith-israel-oldest-synagogue-here-rich-with-hoary-memories |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}</ref> An example, [[Benjamin N. Cardozo|Benjamin Nathan Cardozo]], a notable Spanish-Portuguese lawyer and [[Masortim|traditionalist]], "confessed in 1937 that" after centuries in [[British North America]], "his family preserved neither the Spanish language nor Iberian cultural traditions".<ref>{{cite book |author=Aviva Ben-Ur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZQwMhgF8VkC&pg=PA86 |title=''Sephardic Jews in America: A Diasporic History'' |publisher=NYU Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8147-8632-1 |location=New York |page=86 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727093049/https://books.google.com/books?id=JZQwMhgF8VkC&pg=PA86 |archive-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live}}</ref> His ancestors had lived in [[England]], the British colonies, and the United States since the 17th century.  
Despite the name, most Spanish-Portuguese in the United States do not speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] nor [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], and any vestiges of either language remain only in the Hebrew pronunciation and traditional liturgy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shearith Israel, Oldest Synagogue Here, Rich with Hoary Memories |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/shearith-israel-oldest-synagogue-here-rich-with-hoary-memories |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}</ref> An example, [[Benjamin N. Cardozo|Benjamin Nathan Cardozo]], a notable Spanish-Portuguese lawyer and [[Masortim|traditionalist]], "confessed in 1937 that" after centuries in [[British North America]], "his family preserved neither the Spanish language nor Iberian cultural traditions".<ref>{{cite book |author=Aviva Ben-Ur |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZQwMhgF8VkC&pg=PA86 |title=''Sephardic Jews in America: A Diasporic History'' |publisher=NYU Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8147-8632-1 |location=New York |page=86 |access-date=2016-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727093049/https://books.google.com/books?id=JZQwMhgF8VkC&pg=PA86 |archive-date=2020-07-27 |url-status=live}}</ref> His ancestors had lived in [[England]], the British colonies, and the United States since the 17th century.


Some Spanish table songs, most famously [[Bendigamos]], are still sung by many Spanish-Portuguese.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Sephardi Music - Bendigamos |url=https://sites.google.com/site/londonsephardimusic/table-songs/bendigamos |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=sites.google.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bendigamos {{!}} jewishmusic |url=https://jewish-music.huji.ac.il/en/node/23713 |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=jewish-music.huji.ac.il |language=en}}</ref> However, Bendigamos is believed to have originated among the S&P community of [[Bordeaux|Bordeaux, France]] and originally was sung in [[French language|French]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Sephardi Music - Bendigamos |url=https://sites.google.com/site/londonsephardimusic/table-songs/bendigamos |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=sites.google.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Some Spanish table songs, most famously [[Bendigamos]], are still sung by many Spanish-Portuguese.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Sephardi Music - Bendigamos |url=https://sites.google.com/site/londonsephardimusic/table-songs/bendigamos |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=sites.google.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bendigamos {{!}} jewishmusic |url=https://jewish-music.huji.ac.il/en/node/23713 |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=jewish-music.huji.ac.il |language=en}}</ref> However, Bendigamos is believed to have originated among the S&P community of [[Bordeaux|Bordeaux, France]] and originally was sung in [[French language|French]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Sephardi Music - Bendigamos |url=https://sites.google.com/site/londonsephardimusic/table-songs/bendigamos |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=sites.google.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Unlike the [[Eastern Sephardim]], the Spanish-Portuguese do not traditionally speak Ladino, but rather standard Spanish and Portuguese.


==== Clerical terminology ====
==== Clerical terminology ====
[[Hazzan|Hazzanim]] in the S&P rite are given the title of "[[The Reverend|Reverend]]". For much of the community's history in America, communities were led by hazzanim who were not ordained [[Rabbi|rabbis]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Dr Yitzchok |date=2013-09-11 |title=Reverend Henry Pereira Mendes: Orthodox Stalwart (Part I) |url=https://www.ou.org/life/community/reverend-henry-pereira-mendes-orthodox-stalwart-part/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=OU Life |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[Hazzan]]im in the S&P rite are given the title of "[[The Reverend|Reverend]]". For much of the community's history in America, communities were led by hazzanim who were not ordained [[rabbi]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Dr Yitzchok |date=2013-09-11 |title=Reverend Henry Pereira Mendes: Orthodox Stalwart (Part I) |url=https://www.ou.org/life/community/reverend-henry-pereira-mendes-orthodox-stalwart-part/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=OU Life |language=en-US}}</ref>


=== Dress ===
=== Dress ===
[[File:Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes.jpg|thumb|247x247px|R' Henry Pereira Mendes wearing the traditional robes of Spanish-Portuguese clergy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=e |first=e |date=2016-05-19 |title=Kedoshim and Canonicals 5776 |url=https://www.sephardi.org.uk/kedoshim-and-canonicals/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=S and P Sephardi Community |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=‘A Most Beloved Part of Our Service’:The Slow Procession to the Ark in a Sephardic Synagogue – Covering Religion |url=https://coveringreligion.org/2023/03/06/a-most-beloved-part-of-our-servicethe-slow-procession-to-the-ark-in-a-sephardic-synagogue/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=coveringreligion.org}}</ref>]]Traditionally, Spanish-Portuguese clerical attire consists of [[Clerical clothing|canonical robes]], a [[top hat]], and/or [[Tricorne|tricorn]] depending on the specific community and occasion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our tradition |url=https://www.esnoga.com/en/traditions/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Portugees-Israëlietische Gemeente |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes.jpg|thumb|247x247px|R' Henry Pereira Mendes wearing the traditional robes of Spanish-Portuguese clergy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=e |first=e |date=2016-05-19 |title=Kedoshim and Canonicals 5776 |url=https://www.sephardi.org.uk/kedoshim-and-canonicals/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=S and P Sephardi Community |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title='A Most Beloved Part of Our Service':The Slow Procession to the Ark in a Sephardic Synagogue – Covering Religion |url=https://coveringreligion.org/2023/03/06/a-most-beloved-part-of-our-servicethe-slow-procession-to-the-ark-in-a-sephardic-synagogue/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=coveringreligion.org}}</ref>]]Traditionally, Spanish-Portuguese clerical attire consists of [[Clerical clothing|canonical robes]], a [[top hat]], and/or [[Tricorne|tricorn]] depending on the specific community and occasion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our tradition |url=https://www.esnoga.com/en/traditions/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Portugees-Israëlietische Gemeente |language=en-US}}</ref>


==== Silk prayer shawl ====
==== Silk prayer shawl ====
[[File:Solomon Alexander Hart - The Feast of the Rejoicing of the Law at the Synagogue in Leghorn, Italy - Google Art Project.jpg|left|thumb|180x180px|The silk tallitot used by the Livorno S&P community are similar to the American S&P.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Somekh |first=Simone |date=2018-12-11 |title=This $500 Pure Silk Tallit Is Produced In An Italian Village — Alongside Hermes Scarves |url=https://forward.com/life/415714/this-500-pure-silk-tallit-is-produced-in-a-village-in-northern-italy/ |access-date=2026-06-07 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=shalommorris |date=2017-06-23 |title=Shelah – The Western Sephardic Talet |url=https://shalommorris.com/2017/06/23/shelah-the-western-sephardic-talet/ |access-date=2026-06-07 |website=Shalom Says Hello |language=en}}</ref>]]
[[File:Solomon Alexander Hart - The Feast of the Rejoicing of the Law at the Synagogue in Leghorn, Italy - Google Art Project.jpg|left|thumb|180x180px|The silk tallitot used by the Livorno S&P community are similar to the American S&P.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Somekh |first=Simone |date=2018-12-11 |title=This $500 Pure Silk Tallit Is Produced In An Italian Village — Alongside Hermes Scarves |url=https://forward.com/life/415714/this-500-pure-silk-tallit-is-produced-in-a-village-in-northern-italy/ |access-date=2026-06-07 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=shalommorris |date=2017-06-23 |title=Shelah – The Western Sephardic Talet |url=https://shalommorris.com/2017/06/23/shelah-the-western-sephardic-talet/ |access-date=2026-06-07 |website=Shalom Says Hello |language=en}}</ref>]]
The traditional material used in the production of [[Tallit|tallitot]] (prayer shawls) in Spanish-Portuguese communities in the United States, as well as others, is silk. It is theorized that the material contributed to the unique S&P way of donning the shawl.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Somekh |first=Simone |date=2018-12-11 |title=This $500 Pure Silk Tallit Is Produced In An Italian Village — Alongside Hermes Scarves |url=https://forward.com/life/415714/this-500-pure-silk-tallit-is-produced-in-a-village-in-northern-italy/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Silk Tallit - Jewish Tradition |url=https://talleddiseta.com/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Talled di Seta |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=shalommorris |date=2017-06-23 |title=Shelah – The Western Sephardic Talet |url=https://shalommorris.com/2017/06/23/shelah-the-western-sephardic-talet/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Shalom Says Hello |language=en}}</ref>
The traditional material used in the production of [[tallit]]ot (prayer shawls) in Spanish-Portuguese communities in the United States, as well as others, is silk. It is theorized that the material contributed to the unique S&P way of donning the shawl.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Somekh |first=Simone |date=2018-12-11 |title=This $500 Pure Silk Tallit Is Produced In An Italian Village — Alongside Hermes Scarves |url=https://forward.com/life/415714/this-500-pure-silk-tallit-is-produced-in-a-village-in-northern-italy/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=The Forward |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Silk Tallit - Jewish Tradition |url=https://talleddiseta.com/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Talled di Seta |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=shalommorris |date=2017-06-23 |title=Shelah – The Western Sephardic Talet |url=https://shalommorris.com/2017/06/23/shelah-the-western-sephardic-talet/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Shalom Says Hello |language=en}}</ref>


=== Traditionalism ===
=== Traditionalism ===
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=== Architecture ===
=== Architecture ===
Traditionally, Spanish-Portuguese synagogue architecture was based off of older structures, such as the [[Portuguese Synagogue (Amsterdam)|Portuguese Synagogue]] of Amsterdam and the [[Old Synagogue of Livorno|Great Synagogue of Livorno]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perelis |first=Ronnie |date=2019 |title=Jewish sacred architecture in the Spanish and Portuguese diaspora |url=https://repository.yu.edu/items/cc20b67e-6bac-43ca-b267-208a8510cfd4 |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=repository.yu.edu}}</ref>
Traditionally, Spanish-Portuguese synagogue architecture was based on older structures, such as the [[Portuguese Synagogue (Amsterdam)|Portuguese Synagogue]] of Amsterdam and the [[Old Synagogue of Livorno|Great Synagogue of Livorno]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perelis |first=Ronnie |date=2019 |title=Jewish sacred architecture in the Spanish and Portuguese diaspora |url=https://repository.yu.edu/items/cc20b67e-6bac-43ca-b267-208a8510cfd4 |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=repository.yu.edu}}</ref>
[[File:Spanish-Portuguese Jewish youth honoring Jewish-American veterans of their community.jpg|left|thumb|Spanish-Portuguese Jewish youth place flags on the graves of fallen Jewish veterans at the [[First Shearith Israel Graveyard]] during Memorial Day 2026.]]
[[File:Spanish-Portuguese Jewish youth honoring Jewish-American veterans of their community.jpg|left|thumb|Spanish-Portuguese Jewish youth place flags on the graves of fallen Jewish veterans at the [[First Shearith Israel Graveyard]] during Memorial Day 2026.]]


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=== Southeast ===
=== Southeast ===
=== Midwest ===
[[John Hays (sheriff)|John Jacob Hays]] and [[Samuel Judah (jurist)|Samuel Judah]] were two prominent [[Indiana]] settlers, having migrated to the region from [[New York (state)|New York]].


=== West Coast ===
=== West Coast ===
==== The San Francisco Grandees ====
Spanish-Portuguese Jews began [[American westward movement|establishing themselves]] in [[California]] along with their [[American pioneer|fellow settlers]] in the 19th century. One such settler was [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]]-born, [[Abraham Cohen Labatt]], who established several Reform communities throughout the southern states and [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=Abraham Cohen Labatt: Pioneer of Jewish Reform in America |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/labatt-abraham-cohen |access-date=2026-08-10 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}</ref>


== Modern communities ==
== Modern communities ==
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=== Political ===
=== Political ===


* [[Tikvah Fund]] - Conservative organization who's senior scholar is Rabbi [[Meir Soloveichik]] of Shearith Israel<ref>{{Cite web |last=by |title=Meir Soloveichik |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/contributors/meir-soloveichik |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Tablet Magazine |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Tikvah Fund]] - Conservative organization whose senior scholar is Rabbi [[Meir Soloveichik]] of Shearith Israel<ref>{{Cite web |last=by |title=Meir Soloveichik |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/contributors/meir-soloveichik |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Tablet Magazine |language=en}}</ref>


=== Educational ===
=== Educational ===


* [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America]]  (Historically) - Founded by R' [[Sabato Morais]] and R' [[Henry Pereira Mendes]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-09-29 |title=History of JTS - Jewish Theological Seminary |url=https://www.jtsa.edu/history-of-jts/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=www.jtsa.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Jewish Theological Seminary of America]]  (Historically) - Founded by R' [[Sabato Morais]] and R' [[Henry Pereira Mendes]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-09-29 |title=History of JTS - Jewish Theological Seminary |url=https://www.jtsa.edu/history-of-jts/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=www.jtsa.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Polonies Talmud Torah School - First Hebrew school in America<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-20 |title=PTTS Hebrew School {{!}} Congregation Shearith Israel - Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue |url=https://www.shearithisrael.org/programs/youth/ptts-school/ |access-date=2026-06-12 |language=en}}</ref>
* [https://www.shearithisrael.org/programs/youth/ptts-school/ Polonies Talmud Torah School] - First Hebrew school in America<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-20 |title=PTTS Hebrew School {{!}} Congregation Shearith Israel - Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue |url=https://www.shearithisrael.org/programs/youth/ptts-school/ |access-date=2026-06-12 |language=en}}</ref>
* [https://emetclassicalacademy.org Emet Classical Academy] - Jewish [[Preparatory school (United Kingdom)|preparatory school]] in [[Manhattan]] founded by the Tikvah Fund<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Meaning of Trump’s $10 Million Grant to a Jewish Nonprofit |url=https://jewishcurrents.org/the-meaning-of-trumps-10-million-grant-to-a-jewish-nonprofit |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Jewish Currents |language=en}}</ref>
* [https://emetclassicalacademy.org Emet Classical Academy] - Jewish [[Preparatory school (United Kingdom)|preparatory school]] in [[Manhattan]] founded by the Tikvah Fund<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Meaning of Trump's $10 Million Grant to a Jewish Nonprofit |url=https://jewishcurrents.org/the-meaning-of-trumps-10-million-grant-to-a-jewish-nonprofit |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Jewish Currents |language=en}}</ref>
* Yeshiva University's [https://www.yu.edu/JLL/Sephardic Sephardic Community Program] - Co-founded by Hakham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of the British Commonwealth [[Solomon Gaon]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sephardic Programs |url=https://www.yu.edu/JLL/Sephardic |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Yeshiva University |language=en}}</ref>
* Yeshiva University's [https://www.yu.edu/JLL/Sephardic Sephardic Community Program] - Co-founded by Hakham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of the British Commonwealth [[Solomon Gaon]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sephardic Programs |url=https://www.yu.edu/JLL/Sephardic |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=Yeshiva University |language=en}}</ref>
* [https://www.thehabura.com/about The Habura] - [[Beth midrash|Beit midrash]] founded by Senior Spanish-Portuguese Rabbi of the United Kingdom [[Joseph Dweck]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us {{!}} The Ḥabura |url=https://www.thehabura.com/about |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=The Habura |language=en}}</ref>
* [https://www.thehabura.com/about The Habura] - [[Beth midrash|Beit midrash]] founded by Senior Spanish-Portuguese Rabbi of the United Kingdom [[Joseph Dweck]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us {{!}} The Ḥabura |url=https://www.thehabura.com/about |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=The Habura |language=en}}</ref>
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* ''[[iarchive:oldfaithinnewwor00pool|An Old Faith in the New World: Portrait of Shearith Israel 1654-1954]]'' - Rabbi [[David de Sola Pool]] and Tamar de Sola Pool
* ''[[iarchive:oldfaithinnewwor00pool|An Old Faith in the New World: Portrait of Shearith Israel 1654-1954]]'' - Rabbi [[David de Sola Pool]] and Tamar de Sola Pool
* ''[[iarchive:whyiamjew0000davi_m8l5|Why I am a Jew]]'' by Rabbi David de Sola Pool
* ''[[iarchive:whyiamjew0000davi m8l5|Why I am a Jew]]'' by Rabbi David de Sola Pool
* ''[[iarchive:in.ernet.dli.2015.76380|The Kaddish]]'' by Rabbi David de Sola Pool
* ''[[iarchive:in.ernet.dli.2015.76380|The Kaddish]]'' by Rabbi David de Sola Pool
* ''[[iarchive:bookofprayer0000davi/page/n55/mode/2up|Book of Prayer]]'' by Rabbi David de Sola Pool
* ''[[iarchive:bookofprayer0000davi/page/n55/mode/2up|Book of Prayer]]'' by Rabbi David de Sola Pool
Line 133: Line 127:
* ''[[iarchive:jewishreligionet00mendiala/page/n3/mode/2up|The Jewish Religion: Ethically Presented]]'' by Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes
* ''[[iarchive:jewishreligionet00mendiala/page/n3/mode/2up|The Jewish Religion: Ethically Presented]]'' by Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes
* [[iarchive:estherandharbona00mendiala|''Esther and Harbonah'']] by Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes
* [[iarchive:estherandharbona00mendiala|''Esther and Harbonah'']] by Rabbi Henry Pereira Mendes
* ''[[iarchive:wsb22f5_images/wsb22f5/|A discourse delivered before the congregation Mikvé Israel of Philadelphia, at their synagogue in Seventh street, on Thursday, June 1, 1865, the day appointed for fasting, humiliation, and prayer, for the untimely death of the late lamented President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln]]'' by Rabbi Sabato Morais
* ''[[iarchive:wsb22f5 images/wsb22f5/|A discourse delivered before the congregation Mikvé Israel of Philadelphia, at their synagogue in Seventh street, on Thursday, June 1, 1865, the day appointed for fasting, humiliation, and prayer, for the untimely death of the late lamented President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln]]'' by Rabbi Sabato Morais
* ''[[iarchive:ws_b18f15b/ws_b18f15b/|Correspondence of Sabato Morais, 1887]]'' by Rabbi Sabato Morais
* ''[[iarchive:ws b18f15b/ws b18f15b/|Correspondence of Sabato Morais, 1887]]'' by Rabbi Sabato Morais


== Websites ==
== Websites ==
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== Media ==
== Media ==


* [[The Book of Negroes (miniseries)|Book of Negroes (miniseries)]] - Features Solomon [[Lindo]], an [[Indigofera|indigo planter]] and [[Slavery in the United States|slaveowner]], who comes to own the protagonist<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Nicole |date=2014-06-29 |title=First Trailer for Mini-Series of Acclaimed 'The Book of Negroes' |url=https://www.abhmuseum.org/first-trailer-for-mini-series-of-acclaimed-the-book-of-negroes/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=America's Black Holocaust Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>  
* [[The Book of Negroes (miniseries)|Book of Negroes (miniseries)]] - Features Solomon [[Lindo]], an [[Indigofera|indigo planter]] and [[Slavery in the United States|slaveowner]], who comes to own the protagonist<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Nicole |date=2014-06-29 |title=First Trailer for Mini-Series of Acclaimed 'The Book of Negroes' |url=https://www.abhmuseum.org/first-trailer-for-mini-series-of-acclaimed-the-book-of-negroes/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=America's Black Holocaust Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Field of Lost Shoes]] - Features [[Moses Jacob Ezekiel|Moses Ezekiel]], [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[Battle of New Market|VMI cadet]] and later [[Sculpture|sculptor]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Moses Ezekiel |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/moses-ezekiel |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=American Battlefield Trust |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Field of Lost Shoes]] - Features [[Moses Jacob Ezekiel|Moses Ezekiel]], [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[Battle of New Market|VMI cadet]] and later [[Sculpture|sculptor]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Moses Ezekiel |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/moses-ezekiel |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=American Battlefield Trust |language=en}}</ref>


== Notable individuals ==
== Notable individuals and families ==


=== Families ===
* [[Gershom Mendes Seixas|Seixas]]
* [[Moses Michael Hays|Hays]]
* Judah
* Gomez
* [[Ephraim Hart|Hart]]
* Guedalia<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-19 |title=An Exclusive Tour of the Shearith Israel Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Cemetery on West 11th Street - Village Preservation |url=https://www.villagepreservation.org/event/an-exclusive-tour-of-the-shearith-israel-spanish-and-portuguese-synagogue-cemetery-on-west-11th-street/,%20https://www.villagepreservation.org/event/an-exclusive-tour-of-the-shearith-israel-spanish-and-portuguese-synagogue-cemetery-on-west-11th-street/ |access-date=2026-06-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Individuals ===
* Rabbi [[David de Sola Pool]] - Former rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel
* Rabbi [[David de Sola Pool]] - Former rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel
* Judah Touro - Businessman and philanthropist
* Judah Touro - Businessman and philanthropist
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* Rabbi Meir Soloveichik - Current rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel
* Rabbi Meir Soloveichik - Current rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel
* Rabbi [[Hayyim Angel]] - Former rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel and professor at [[Yeshiva University]]
* Rabbi [[Hayyim Angel]] - Former rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel and professor at [[Yeshiva University]]
* SFC Yosef Malachi Guedalia - IDF soldier and victim of the [[October 7 attacks|October 7th massacre]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Staff |first=ToI |date=2023-10-12 |title=Sgt. First Class Yosef Malachi Guedalia, 22: ‘A very gentle, sweet person’ |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/sgt-first-class-yosef-malachi-guedalia-22-a-very-gentle-sweet-person/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>
* SFC Yosef Malachi Guedalia - IDF soldier and victim of the [[October 7 attacks|October 7th massacre]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Staff |first=ToI |date=2023-10-12 |title=Sgt. First Class Yosef Malachi Guedalia, 22: 'A very gentle, sweet person' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/sgt-first-class-yosef-malachi-guedalia-22-a-very-gentle-sweet-person/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref>
* Rabbi Shalom Morris - Rabbi of [[Bevis Marks Synagogue]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=RABBI SHALOM MORRIS |url=https://www.sephardi.org.uk/about/rabbis/rabbi-shalom-morris/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=S and P Sephardi Community |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* Rabbi Shalom Morris - Rabbi of [[Bevis Marks Synagogue]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=RABBI SHALOM MORRIS |url=https://www.sephardi.org.uk/about/rabbis/rabbi-shalom-morris/ |access-date=2026-05-20 |website=S and P Sephardi Community |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* Rabbi Joseph Dweck - Senior rabbi of the Spanish-Portuguese community of the [[United Kingdom]]
* Rabbi Joseph Dweck - Senior rabbi of the Spanish-Portuguese community of the [[United Kingdom]]
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* [[Vic Seixas]] - Tennis player
* [[Vic Seixas]] - Tennis player
* [[Theodore Solomons]] - Explorer and early [[Sierra Club]] member
* [[Theodore Solomons]] - Explorer and early [[Sierra Club]] member
* [[Arthur Hays Sulzberger]] - Publisher of the [[The New York Times|New York Times]] from 1935-1961
* [[Arthur Hays Sulzberger]] - Publisher of the [[The New York Times|New York Times]] from 1935 to 1961
* Rabbi [[Isaac Touro]] - Religious leader and [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|British Loyalist]]
* Rabbi [[Isaac Touro]] - Religious leader and [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|British Loyalist]]
* Hazzan [[Jacques Judah Lyons]] - Religious leader, composer, historian
* Hazzan [[Jacques Judah Lyons]] - Religious leader, composer, historian
Line 200: Line 204:
* [[Benjamin Nathan]] - Investor, philanthropist, and murder victim
* [[Benjamin Nathan]] - Investor, philanthropist, and murder victim
* [[Henri Castro]] - Diplomat and Texas [[empresario]]
* [[Henri Castro]] - Diplomat and Texas [[empresario]]
* [[Mordecai Manuel Noah]] - Sheriff, playwright, diplomat, journalist, and [[Utopia|utopian]]
* [[Mordecai Manuel Noah]] - Sheriff, playwright, diplomat, journalist, and [[utopia]]n
* [[Daniel De Leon]] - Socialist writer and unionist
* [[Daniel De Leon]] - Socialist writer and unionist
* [[Lewis Charles Levin]] - Founder of the [[Know Nothing|Know Nothings]]
* [[Lewis Charles Levin]] - Founder of the [[Know Nothing]]s
* [[Lewis Morrison]] - Actor and only [[African-American Jews|black Jewish]] officer in both the [[United States Army|United States]] and [[Confederate States Army|Confederates States Army]]
* [[Lewis Morrison]] - Actor and only [[African-American Jews|black Jewish]] officer in both the [[United States Army|United States]] and [[Confederate States Army|Confederates States Army]]


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== References ==
== References ==
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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[:Category:American people of Portuguese-Jewish descent]]
 
[[:Category:American people of Spanish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Portuguese-Jewish descent]]
[[:Category:Sephardi Jewish culture by country]]
[[Category:American people of Spanish-Jewish descent]]
[[:Category:Sephardi Jewish culture]]
[[Category:Sephardi Jewish culture by country]]
[[:Category:Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:Sephardi Jewish culture]]
[[:Category:Sephardi Jews by nationality]]
[[Category:Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:American Sephardic Jews]]

Latest revision as of 18:49, 29 September 2026

Spanish and Portuguese Jews, Western Sephardim, or simply S&P are the oldest Jewish community in the United States.[1][2]

History

Template:Further

Gomez Mill House in Newburgh, NY, USA. One of the earliest known residences of a Jew in the future United States of America.

Initial settlements

The first Jews to arrive in North America were 23 Sephardim who fled religious persecution in Brazil after the Portuguese took over and brought the Inquisition in1654.[3][4][5] They landed a few days before Rosh Hashana.[6] Among the prominent people who came were Asser Levy, Luis Moses Gomez, Moses and Samuel Levy.[6]

Issues with the Reform

Not all Spanish-Portuguese were as dedicated to tradition as their fellow congregants. Some, such as Isaac Harby, openly called for reform. Changes included English services, as he claimed that many could not even understand the Hebrew language. Much of his support for reform was due to his belief that his community was ill educated on their own religion and Spanish-Portuguese customs, therefore being defenseless against Protestant missionaries.[7]

Contributions to George Washington's success

Several Sephardim participated in the American Revolutionary War such as Francis Salvador, Haym Salomon, and Moses Seixas.[8] Haym Salomon is considered to be one of the main financiers of the Revolutionary War and key to the success of Washington's Yorktown campaign.[9][10][11]

Francis Salvador was the first Jew killed in the Revolutionary War.[12]

In 1790, Moses Seixas, the president of Touro Synagogue wrote to George Washington to praise the religious freedoms in the Bill of Rights.[13] Washington responded affirming that the U.S. government gives "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance"—anchored Jews firmly within American religious liberty. [14][15][16][17]

Gershom Mendes Seixas, brother of Moses Seixas, was the cantor of Congregation Shearith Israel, in New York and participated in George Washington's inauguration. He was also one of the founders of Columbia College.[18]

Culture, traditions, and customs

Language

Despite the name, most Spanish-Portuguese in the United States do not speak Spanish nor Portuguese, and any vestiges of either language remain only in the Hebrew pronunciation and traditional liturgy.[19] An example, Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, a notable Spanish-Portuguese lawyer and traditionalist, "confessed in 1937 that" after centuries in British North America, "his family preserved neither the Spanish language nor Iberian cultural traditions".[20] His ancestors had lived in England, the British colonies, and the United States since the 17th century.

Some Spanish table songs, most famously Bendigamos, are still sung by many Spanish-Portuguese.[21][22] However, Bendigamos is believed to have originated among the S&P community of Bordeaux, France and originally was sung in French.[23]

Unlike the Eastern Sephardim, the Spanish-Portuguese do not traditionally speak Ladino, but rather standard Spanish and Portuguese.

Clerical terminology

Hazzanim in the S&P rite are given the title of "Reverend". For much of the community's history in America, communities were led by hazzanim who were not ordained rabbis.[24]

Dress

R' Henry Pereira Mendes wearing the traditional robes of Spanish-Portuguese clergy.[25][26]

Traditionally, Spanish-Portuguese clerical attire consists of canonical robes, a top hat, and/or tricorn depending on the specific community and occasion.[27]

Silk prayer shawl

The silk tallitot used by the Livorno S&P community are similar to the American S&P.[28][29]

The traditional material used in the production of tallitot (prayer shawls) in Spanish-Portuguese communities in the United States, as well as others, is silk. It is theorized that the material contributed to the unique S&P way of donning the shawl.[30][31][32]

Traditionalism

Spanish-Portuguese communities place a heavy emphasis on the preservation of Western Sephardic liturgical customs and religious traditions, despite the fact that Spanish-Portuguese communities in the US have always included Ashkenazim.[33]

Thanksgiving service

Congregation Shearith Israel has been conducting Thanksgiving services since President George Washington first instituted the holiday in 1789.[34][35][36]

Architecture

Traditionally, Spanish-Portuguese synagogue architecture was based on older structures, such as the Portuguese Synagogue of Amsterdam and the Great Synagogue of Livorno.[37]

Spanish-Portuguese Jewish youth place flags on the graves of fallen Jewish veterans at the First Shearith Israel Graveyard during Memorial Day 2026.

Memorial Day

Every year, Shearith Israel hosts a Memorial Day ceremony in honor of veteran members of the community, notably those who perished during the American Revolutionary War.[38] The event is attended by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York color guard.[39]

Cuisine

Spanish-Portuguese cuisine in colonial America largely mirrored that of their fellow colonists, albeit with alterations to follow the laws of kashrut. Commonly eaten foods included corn, beans, fish, preserved fruit, preserved vegetables, and pickled vegetables.[40]

Halakhic approach

Though there is no uniquely Spanish-Portuguese approach to halakha, historically the predominant stream of Judaism in the community has been rationalist and Maimonidean. Kabbalah is also notably absent from the S&P rite.[41]

By region

Northeast

Southeast

Midwest

John Jacob Hays and Samuel Judah were two prominent Indiana settlers, having migrated to the region from New York.

West Coast

The San Francisco Grandees

Spanish-Portuguese Jews began establishing themselves in California along with their fellow settlers in the 19th century. One such settler was Charleston-born, Abraham Cohen Labatt, who established several Reform communities throughout the southern states and San Francisco.[42]

Modern communities

Historical communities

Institutions and organizations

Theological

Historical

Philanthropic and charitable

Political

Educational

Namesakes

Publications

Websites

Liturgy, customs, and traditions

General

  • S&P Central- Information hub for Spanish & Portuguese / Western Sephardic Jewish Communities

Media

Notable individuals and families

Families

Individuals

Notable non-Jewish descendants

See also

Template:Sephardic Jews topics

References

  1. ↑ "Introduction: Origins of the American Jewish Community" (in en). https://jwa.org/article/introduction-origins-of-american-jewish-community. 
  2. ↑ "Congregational History | Congregation Shearith Israel- Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue" (in en). 2022-05-19. https://www.shearithisrael.org/about/our-history/congregational-history/. 
  3. ↑ "Jews in Colonial New York" (in en). https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/blog/jews-in-colonial-new-york. 
  4. ↑ "The New York Historical" (in en). https://www.nyhistory.org/blogs/new-yorks-first-jews-came-from-brazil. 
  5. ↑ "Sephardic Jewish Americans | Religion and Philosophy | Research Starters | EBSCOhost" (in en). https://www.ebsco.com/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shargel, Baila; Drimmer, Harold (1994). The Jews of Westchester County: A Social History. Purple Mountain Press. 
  7. ↑ Feldberg, Michael. "Isaac Harby" (in en-US). https://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Modern_History/1700-1914/America_at_the_Turn_of_the_Century/Sephardic_Immigration/Charleston/americanization.shtml. 
  8. ↑ U, Sephardic (2023-05-29). "The Sephardic Jews in the American Revolutionary War: Contributions to Independence" (in en-US). https://sephardicu.com/sephardic-history/the-sephardic-jews-in-the-american-revolutionary-war-contributions-to-independence/. 
  9. ↑ "How Haym Salomon Helped to Finance the American Revolution" (in en). ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/haym-salomon-biography-4178500. 
  10. ↑ "Haym Salomon: Biography & Facts" (in en). https://www.britannica.com/money/Haym-Salomon. 
  11. ↑ Feldstein, Zavi (2021-06-02). "One Jew's Financial Support for the Revolutionary War" (in en-US). https://www.americanjewisharchives.org/snapshots/one-jews-financial-support-for-the-revolutionary-war/. 
  12. ↑ nell_porter_brown@harvard.edu (2003-01-01). "A "portion of the People" | Harvard Magazine" (in en). https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2003/01/a-portion-of-the-people-html. 
  13. ↑ Manca, Joseph (2016-02-01). "The Touro Synagogue: Peter Harrison, George Washington, and Religious Freedom in America" (in en-US). https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/the-touro-synagogue-peter-harrison-george-washington-and-religious-freedom-in-america/. 
  14. ↑ "From George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island - Wednesday, August 18, 1790 | George Washington's Mount Vernon" (in en). https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/past-projects/quotes/article/for-happily-the-government-of-the-united-states-which-gives-to-bigotry-no-sanction-to-persecution-no-assistance-requires-only-that-they-who-live-under-its-protection-should-demean-themselves-as-good-citizens-in-giving-it-on-all-occasions-their-effectual-s. 
  15. ↑ "George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, 18 August 1790". https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0135. 
  16. ↑ "George Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island | Loeb Institute | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University" (in en). https://loeb.columbian.gwu.edu/george-washingtons-letter-hebrew-congregation-newport-rhode-island. 
  17. ↑ GEFFEN, ByDAVID (2026-02-14). "George Washington’s role in Jewish freedom in US | The Jerusalem Post" (in en). https://www.jpost.com/history/article-886447. 
  18. ↑ "SEIXAS - JewishEncyclopedia.com". https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13396-seixas. 
  19. ↑ "Shearith Israel, Oldest Synagogue Here, Rich with Hoary Memories" (in en-US). https://www.jta.org/archive/shearith-israel-oldest-synagogue-here-rich-with-hoary-memories. 
  20. ↑ Aviva Ben-Ur (2009). Sephardic Jews in America: A Diasporic History. New York: NYU Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-8147-8632-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=JZQwMhgF8VkC&pg=PA86. Retrieved on 2016-02-19. 
  21. ↑ "London Sephardi Music - Bendigamos" (in en-US). https://sites.google.com/site/londonsephardimusic/table-songs/bendigamos. 
  22. ↑ "Bendigamos | jewishmusic" (in en). https://jewish-music.huji.ac.il/en/node/23713. 
  23. ↑ "London Sephardi Music - Bendigamos" (in en-US). https://sites.google.com/site/londonsephardimusic/table-songs/bendigamos. 
  24. ↑ Levine, Dr Yitzchok (2013-09-11). "Reverend Henry Pereira Mendes: Orthodox Stalwart (Part I)" (in en-US). https://www.ou.org/life/community/reverend-henry-pereira-mendes-orthodox-stalwart-part/. 
  25. ↑ e, e (2016-05-19). "Kedoshim and Canonicals 5776" (in en-GB). https://www.sephardi.org.uk/kedoshim-and-canonicals/. 
  26. ↑ "'A Most Beloved Part of Our Service':The Slow Procession to the Ark in a Sephardic Synagogue – Covering Religion". https://coveringreligion.org/2023/03/06/a-most-beloved-part-of-our-servicethe-slow-procession-to-the-ark-in-a-sephardic-synagogue/. 
  27. ↑ "Our tradition" (in en-US). https://www.esnoga.com/en/traditions/. 
  28. ↑ Somekh, Simone (2018-12-11). "This $500 Pure Silk Tallit Is Produced In An Italian Village — Alongside Hermes Scarves" (in en). https://forward.com/life/415714/this-500-pure-silk-tallit-is-produced-in-a-village-in-northern-italy/. 
  29. ↑ shalommorris (2017-06-23). "Shelah – The Western Sephardic Talet" (in en). https://shalommorris.com/2017/06/23/shelah-the-western-sephardic-talet/. 
  30. ↑ Somekh, Simone (2018-12-11). "This $500 Pure Silk Tallit Is Produced In An Italian Village — Alongside Hermes Scarves" (in en). https://forward.com/life/415714/this-500-pure-silk-tallit-is-produced-in-a-village-in-northern-italy/. 
  31. ↑ "Silk Tallit - Jewish Tradition" (in en). https://talleddiseta.com/. 
  32. ↑ shalommorris (2017-06-23). "Shelah – The Western Sephardic Talet" (in en). https://shalommorris.com/2017/06/23/shelah-the-western-sephardic-talet/. 
  33. ↑ "Our Minhag | Congregation Shearith Israel- Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue" (in en). 2022-05-19. https://www.shearithisrael.org/about/our-minhag/. 
  34. ↑ "Thanksgiving at Shearith Israel | Congregation Shearith Israel - Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue" (in en). 2022-05-31. https://www.shearithisrael.org/programs/holidays/thanksgiving-at-shearith-israel/. 
  35. ↑ Zeffren, Tamar (2024-11-22). "Trustees of Congregation Shearith Israel Regarding Thanksgiving Day, 1847" (in en-US). https://ajhs.org/trustees-of-congregation-shearith-israel-regarding-thanksgiving-day-1847/. 
  36. ↑ Gilson, Grace (2025-11-28). "Oldest Jewish congregation in US launches Manhattan kosher food pantry on Thanksgiving" (in en-US). The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. https://www.timesofisrael.com/oldest-jewish-congregation-in-us-launches-manhatten-kosher-food-pantry-on-thanksgiving/. 
  37. ↑ Perelis, Ronnie (2019). "Jewish sacred architecture in the Spanish and Portuguese diaspora". https://repository.yu.edu/items/cc20b67e-6bac-43ca-b267-208a8510cfd4. 
  38. ↑ "Memorial Day | Congregation Shearith Israel - Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue" (in en). 2022-05-31. https://www.shearithisrael.org/programs/holidays/memorial-day/. 
  39. ↑ "Color Guard" (in en-US). https://www.sonsoftherevolution.org/color-guard. 
  40. ↑ Hausman, Judith (2016-02-25). "Foodways of Colonial Sephardim in the Hudson Valley" (in en-US). https://hvmag.com/life-style/news/foodways-of-colonial-sephardim-in-the-hudson-valley/. 
  41. ↑ Howard••, Aaron. "Jewish Herald-Voice". https://jhvonline.com/the-legacy-of-spanishportuguese-jewry-p934-89.htm. 
  42. ↑ Association, Texas State Historical. "Abraham Cohen Labatt: Pioneer of Jewish Reform in America" (in en). https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/labatt-abraham-cohen. 
  43. ↑ "Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue (U.S. National Park Service)" (in en). https://www.nps.gov/places/kahal-kadosh-beth-elohim-synagogue.htm. 
  44. ↑ "Touro Synagogue" (in en-US). http://tourosynagogue.com/about-us/ourhistory/. 
  45. ↑ "History of CMI - Congregation Mickve Israel". https://www.mickveisrael.org/history-of-cmi.html. 
  46. ↑ "The Touro Synagogue - Newport, RI" (in en-US). 2025-05-28. https://www.thetourosynagogue.org/. 
  47. ↑ "Our Historic Synagogue" (in en-US). https://synagogue.vi/our-historic-synagogue/. 
  48. ↑ "History - Congregation Beth Ahabah". https://www.bethahabah.org/heritage/history/. 
  49. ↑ Levine, Dr Yitzchok (2013-09-11). "Reverend Henry Pereira Mendes: Orthodox Stalwart (Part I)" (in en-US). https://www.ou.org/life/community/reverend-henry-pereira-mendes-orthodox-stalwart-part/. 
  50. ↑ Markovitz, Eugene (1966). "Henry Pereira Mendes: Architect of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America". American Jewish Historical Quarterly 55 (3): 364–384. ISSN 0002-9068. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23875623. 
  51. ↑ "About Us | jewishideas.org". https://www.jewishideas.org/about-us. 
  52. ↑ "Rabbi Marc Angel - MJHI" (in en-US). https://manhattanjewish.org/2023_hall_of_fame/rabbi-marc-angel/index.htm. 
  53. ↑ "Gomez Mill House: An American Treasure". https://www.gomez.org/about.html. 
  54. ↑ "Fiftieth Anniversary of the "Hebra Hased Va Amet" Hebrew Benevolent Society." (in en-US). The New York Times. 1852-11-12. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/1852/11/12/archives/fiftieth-anniversary-of-the-hebra-hased-va-amet-hebrew-benevolent.html. 
  55. ↑ by. "Meir Soloveichik" (in en). https://www.tabletmag.com/contributors/meir-soloveichik. 
  56. ↑ "History of JTS - Jewish Theological Seminary" (in en-US). 2015-09-29. https://www.jtsa.edu/history-of-jts/. 
  57. ↑ "PTTS Hebrew School | Congregation Shearith Israel - Manhattan Orthodox Synagogue" (in en). 2022-05-20. https://www.shearithisrael.org/programs/youth/ptts-school/. 
  58. ↑ "The Meaning of Trump's $10 Million Grant to a Jewish Nonprofit" (in en). https://jewishcurrents.org/the-meaning-of-trumps-10-million-grant-to-a-jewish-nonprofit. 
  59. ↑ "Sephardic Programs" (in en). https://www.yu.edu/JLL/Sephardic. 
  60. ↑ "About Us | The Ḥabura" (in en). https://www.thehabura.com/about. 
  61. ↑ Martinez, Nicole (2014-06-29). "First Trailer for Mini-Series of Acclaimed 'The Book of Negroes'" (in en-US). https://www.abhmuseum.org/first-trailer-for-mini-series-of-acclaimed-the-book-of-negroes/. 
  62. ↑ "Moses Ezekiel" (in en). https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/moses-ezekiel. 
  63. ↑ "An Exclusive Tour of the Shearith Israel Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Cemetery on West 11th Street - Village Preservation" (in en-US). 2021-07-19. https://www.villagepreservation.org/event/an-exclusive-tour-of-the-shearith-israel-spanish-and-portuguese-synagogue-cemetery-on-west-11th-street/,%20https://www.villagepreservation.org/event/an-exclusive-tour-of-the-shearith-israel-spanish-and-portuguese-synagogue-cemetery-on-west-11th-street/. 
  64. ↑ Staff, ToI (2023-10-12). "Sgt. First Class Yosef Malachi Guedalia, 22: 'A very gentle, sweet person'" (in en-US). The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. https://www.timesofisrael.com/sgt-first-class-yosef-malachi-guedalia-22-a-very-gentle-sweet-person/. 
  65. ↑ "RABBI SHALOM MORRIS" (in en-GB). https://www.sephardi.org.uk/about/rabbis/rabbi-shalom-morris/. 
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