Newspaper Page Text
Our Ninety
They Helped Establish
The Republic
SHEFTALL, MINIS, SEIXAS
NONES, MORDECAI .... MANY OF
THESE GREATS WERE PRODUCED BY
In his recent book, “Jewish
Notables In America,” (Green
berg, Publisher), historian Harry
Simonhoff puts before us a clear
picture of ninety great American
Jews who played a vital part in
the molding of our nation. He
begins with the year of Ameri
can Independence and tells the
story of the outstanding Jew of
each year ending with the gigan
tic struggle that saved the Union.
These stories of ninety men and
women command attention for
their sheer human interest . . .
The following is the list of per
sonalities author Simonhoff dis
cusses in his 402-page book:
Francis Salvador, Alien Patriot,
1776; Aaron Lopes, Merchant
Prince, 1777; Joseph Simon of
Lancaster, 1778; Mordecai Sheft-
all, Commissary General, 1779;
Abigail Minis, Matriarch, 1780;
Hayim Salomon, Patriot Financi
er, 1781; Rebecca Franks, the
Tory Belle, 1782; Jacob Philadel
phia, Mystic and Scientist, 1783;
Hayman Levy, Indian Trader,
1784; David Franks, the Tory
Man of Business, 1785.
Aaron Levy, Aaronsberg, 1786;
Colonel Davis S. Franks, Treaty
Bearer, 1786; Jonas Phillips,
Staunch Libertarian, 1788; Ger-
shon Mendes Seixas, Patriot Rab
bi, 1789; Isaac Pinto of New York,
1790; Michael Grata, Colonizer
and Trader, 1791; Myer Myers,
Artist and Craftsman, 1792;
Moses Mendes Seixas, Sephardi
Parnass, 1793; Colonel Isaacs
Franks, Alleged Aid to Washing
ton, 1794; Colonel Solomon Bush,
Office Seeker, 1795.
Solomon Simpson, Merchant
and Correspondent, 1796; Bernard
Grata, Colonial Enterpriser, 1797;
Moses Michael Hays, Grand Mas
ter, 1798; Simon Nathan, Ances
tor, 1799; Major Benjamin Nones,
Jeffersonian, 1800; Gov. David
Emanuel, Georgia, 1801; Jacob I.
Cohen, Richmond, 1802; Benjamin
Gomes, Bookdealer and Publisher,
1803; Old Mordecai of Alabama,
1804; Isaac Moses, Merchant and
Patriot, 1805;
Judge Moses Levy, Philadel
phia, 1806; John Hays, Sheriff
and Indian Agent, 1807; Moses
Myers, Norfolk, 1808; Jacob Hen
ry, Legislator, 1809; Jacob Mor
decai, Schoolmaster, 1810; Naph-
tali Phillips, lived almost 100
years, 1811; Captain Mordecai
Meyers Assimilationist, 1812;
Harmon Hendricks and his Cop
per Rolling Mill, 1813; Jonathan
Horwits and the First American
Hebrew Bible, 1814.
Joshua Monteflore, Adventur
ous Author, 1815; Samuel Noah,
Class of 1807 U.S. Military Aca
demy, 1816; Rebecca Grata, Scott’s
Heroine, 1817; Joseph Samuel
Christian Frederick Frey, Mis
sionary, 1818; Sheftall Sheftall of
Savannah, 1819; Moses Elias Levy,
Dreamer of a Zion in Florida,
1820; Captain Jacob de la Motta,
Surgeon and Scientist, 1821; Israel
Baer Kursheedy, Erudite Layman,
1822; Solomon H. Jackson, Op
ponent of Missionaries, 1823;
Isaac Harby, First Reformer in
American Judaism, 1824;
Mordecai Manual Noah, “Gov
ernor and Judge of Israel,” 1825;
Joseph Jonas, Founder of the
Cincinnati Community, 1826;
Solomon Etting, Civil Rights
Champion, 1827; Samuel B. H.
Judah, Playwright, 1828; Samp
son Simpson, Founder of Mt. Si
nai Hospital, 1829; Benjamin
Gratz, Railroad Organizer and
President, 1830; Levy Charles
Harby, Captain in the U.S. Mar
ine, 1831; Bernard Hart, NY.
Stock Exchange Official, 1832;
Lorenzo da Ponte, Librettist to
Mozart, 1833; Commodore Uriah
P. Levy, 1834; Penina Moise,
Blind Poetess, 1835; Lieutenant
Meyer M. Cohen in the Seminole
War, 1836; Colonel Leon Dyer.
Venturous Yet Solid.
Jacob Newton Cardozo, Editor-
SOUTHERN JEWRY
Economist, 1838; Judah Touro,
Philanthropist, 1839; Isaac Leeser,
Orthodox Leader, 1840; Reformer
Gustavus Poznanski of Charles
ton, 1841; Dr. Isaac Hays, Co
founder of A.M.A., 1842; Henry
Castro, Texas Colonizer, 1844;
Abraham Hart, Publisher, 1845;
David Camden DeLeon, the Fight
ing Doctor, 1846; Jacob de Cord
ova, Publiciser of Texas, 1857;
Warder Cresson, Convert, 1848;
Abraham Watters, Itinerant, 1849;
Ernestine L. Rose, Suffragette,
1850; Max Lilienthal, Educator
and Spokesman, 1851.
J ustice Solomon Heydenf eldt,
1852; Morris Jacob Raphall, Fun
damentalist, Major Alfred Mor
decai, Conscientious Objector,
1854; Solomon Nunes Carvalho,
1855; Isidor Bush, Abolitionist,
1856; August Bondi in Bleeding
Kansas with John Brown, 1857;
Abraham Jonas, Friend of Lin
coln, 1858.
David Einhom, Radical Re
former, 1859; Michael Heilprin,
Encyclopedist, 1860; David Levy
Yulee, Florida’s First Senator,
1861; Cesar J. Kaskel, Shtadlan
for a Day, 1862; Judah P. Ben
jamin, Statesman and Jurist, 1863;
La Belle Menken, Enchanting
Rebel, 1864; Edwin De Leon,
Confederate Agent, 1865.
The Southern Israelite
30