all those that came after them, remained in the faith. About 1838, if I am not mistaken, a beginning of regular services was made, in some dingy upstairs room, and some sort of ritual bath was dug. But in the directory the Jewish synagogue figures for the first time in 1843 (none was published in 1842). The location is given as "N. S. Market Street, near corner 1st," and Joseph Dinkenspiel is set down as Rabbi. The writer saw him in 1851 and found him an ignorant Shochet.* About that time a number of Jews from Bavaria settled in small country towns in Kentucky, who, after earning there in a few years a goodly little fortune, came to Louisville in order to be enabled there to practice their religion and to have it taught to their children. In 1843 a charter was granted by the Legislature to the Adas Israel congregation, which now worships in a magnificent temple; the members named as corporators are about thirty-five, of whom only one, A. Gerstle, is now alive. Here regular congregational life begins, and the "beginnings" end. I might have named a number of Jews and some Jewesses who, between 1820 and 1840, came here, became quite prominent in society or business circles, intermarried with the best Gentile families, and thus became lost to their race; but it is no part of my duty to tell their story. P. S.-On further inquiry, I find that the Kentucky Solomons, including the notorious Madame Diss de Bar, are the children of a scholar from Breslau, who came in the thirties, and who claimed to be a grandnephew of Haym Solomon, of Revolutionary fame. * Ritual slaughterer. A DOCUMENT CONCERNING THE FRANKS FAMILY. BY HON. SIMON W. ROSENDALE. The following is a copy of a document preserved in the archives of the State of New York at Albany: On the 26th Day of December in the year of our Lord 1792 Before me Richard Peters Judge of the District Court of the United States in & for the Pennsylvania District came David Franks of the City of Philadelphia Gentleman & being duly sworn on the five Books of Moses (he being a Jew) doth depose and say That he from his youth always understood and believed & was so informed by his Parents Jacob & Abigail Franks that there was a Difference of near Twenty Months between the Ages of this Deponent & his sister Phila Franks, who intermarried with the late Oliver DeLancey deceased he this Deponent having been born on the 23d Day of September 1720 & his said Sister Phila on the 19th Day of June 1722. That this Deponent is not only well informed on this Subject by the general Reputation & Belief of the Family but has in his possession a Copy of the Entry made by his said Father in the Family Bible of the Age (among others of the Children of his said Father) of his said said [sic] Sister Phila. That the Entry of the Birth of his said Sister is made in the English Words following "Phila born 19th June at 6 O clock P M Tuesday 1722 Tamuz 15th 5482 to these are added in Hebrew her Name & the Month & year of her Birth. That he was present when Gershom Seixias [sic] copied the entries of the Names & Times of Birth of the Children of the said Jacob Franks and of the Family Bible which this Deponent compared with the original Entries & on his Oath declares them to be just & true. (Signed) DAVID FRANKS. Sworn and subscribed 20th December 1792 before Richard Peters. JEWS IN THE AMERICAN PLANTATIONS BETWEEN 1600-1700. BY DR. CYRUS ADLER, Smithsonian Institution. The names with the information here following were extracted from a work bearing the title: "The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; emigrants; religious exiles; political rebels; serving men sold for a term of years; apprentices; children stolen; maidens pressed; and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations 1600-1700; with their ages, the localities where they formerly lived in the mother country, the names of the ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars. From MMS. preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England. Edited by John Camden Hotten. London, Chatto and Windus, Publishers. 1874." P. 409. October 29th 1679 SENIOR JACOB in the Barq Doue for Neuis ANTHONY JENOUR Comandr security. (Ano: 1680 BARBADOS A LIST of the Inhabitants in and about the Towne of St. Michaells with their children hired Seruants, Prentices, bought Seruants and Negroes.) |