Thursday, February 02, 2012

Miscellanies on 18th century American Jews

Couple of interesting passages about Jews in the United States from 1794 and 1795.

The first concerns burial practices observed in Charleston. Not uniquely American by any means, but I think it's interesting to see that it was also practiced in America:



The second is a joke at the expense of Quakers and Jews, although I think the Quakers come out a little better:



Finally, although this has nothing do with America at all, here is a 1739 mock advertisement by Jonathan Swift in the Gentleman's Magazine for a work on "Composing and Resolving Anagrams," written "by a Professor of universal learning, and a descendent of the renown'd cabalist Rabbi Levi ben Iarchi."

1 comment:

  1. "Terra sancta" is still a custom at Shearith Israel.

    A nice little book which mentions the subject is "Chronicles of the Frigate Macedonian" by James T. de Kay.

    ReplyDelete