This story is not just mine unfortunately. Many other American's, just like me, do not know anything about their Jewish history. Whether their reasons are the same as mine or different, we have all lost a part of history of who were are due to circumstances. The question becomes then whether or not this type of assimilation will continue to where American Jews are no longer significant or even worse, where they no longer exist. .
The first Jews set foot in the New World around 1492; their names were Alfonso de la Calle, Maestro Bernal, Rodrigo Sanchez, and Louis de Torres. These men came to the New World along with Christopher Columbus not only in search for the Indies but to escape what was going on back in their homeland of Spain. Almost two hundred years later, in September of 1654 twenty-three Jewish refugees sailed up the Hudson River on the Ste Catherine to settle on the western tip of Manhattan Island. They were not met with compassion but rather with hostility and cruelty. In March of 1655 five families and three single males joined the twenty-three already living on Manhattan Island. They too were met with hostility and they were almost kicked out of the colony. By reminding them that wherever Jews went in the Dutch Empire, they brought economic benefit they were allowed to stay. Although they were allowed to stay they were forbidden to do many things such as trade with the Indians or to hold office or vote. By 1656 however, Jews had established themselves well enough that they had gained acceptance and were allowed to do many things. (Sachar, 1992, 13-15) But that is just the beginning of the story of the American Jews. Jews have been involved in the history of American from the very beginning. However that was then, and this is now the year 2001, just a couple of days away from 2002. In today's society the American Jews are still very much involved in writing America's story, the question is however how much more will they be a part of it? There are many obstacles that are getting in the way of this goal.
