Why The First Jews in Colonial America Nearly Vanished

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Before New York became the center of American Jewish life, a small group of Jewish refugees arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654. Fleeing Recife after the Portuguese retook Brazil, they faced debt, discrimination, and Peter Stuyvesant’s hostility, yet helped build the foundations of Jewish life in colonial America. In this episode of Jewish History Nerds, Yael and Schwab explore the Jewish story of mutual aid and cemeteries to synagogues, commerce, and the fight for religious freedom in Colonial America.

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Summary and Sources:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mX-mTHjm4iKuF1LWaqJeTHJ0CMh4O-OVo4Jq0-zsvXM/edit?usp=sharing

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