The Jews in Early America

Though the first group of Jews to settle in the American colonies came to New Amsterdam in 1654, the history of Jews in America begins with the discovery of America itself.

Christopher Columbus wrote in his diary: "After the Spanish monarchs had banished all the Jews from their kingdoms and territories, in the same month they gave me the order to undertake with sufficient men my voyage of discovery to the Indies." Was this mere coincidence, or was Columbus aware of a link between the banishment of the Jews and the order to undertake a voyage of discovery? We know that after Columbus had been turned down by the King of Portugal, he appealed to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain for men, money and ships, and that the Spanish monarchs for several years fefused his request. Spain was not yet a sea power. The King and Queen, who by their marriage had united the provinces of Aragonand Castile in the north, were busy driving the Moors out of Southern Spain, Christianizing their own people, and consolidating their Kingdom. They had neither the time, nor the money to risk on a venture such as Columbus proposed - to find a route East by sailing West.

But in year 1492 two important events took place. In January, Granada, the last stronghold of the Moorsin Southern Spain, fell. At the end of March the King and Queen signed an order that all the Jews who didn't convert to Christianity leave within four months, and that their wealth and property be left to the Crown. At last Queen Isabella had the money - and the inclination - to listen to the sailor from Genoa. She conferred on him the title of Admiral and gave him three ships and 90 men for his voyage of discovery. Columbus sailed with the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, on August 3, 1492, exactly one day after the final expulsion of the Jews from Spain.

This is how Jews are related to the discovery of America. Today 5.7 out of 13 million Jews live in the United States.