Henry Harmon Noble, the Registrar General of the Society of the War of 1812, and other representatives of that Society, decorated the grave of Capt. Solomon Seixas in the old Jewish cemetery on 21st Street, West of Sixth Avenue, New York, Sunday afternoon in the presence of members of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation Shearith Israel, and descendants of Capt. Seixas.
In his address Mr. Noble detailed the military record of Capt. Seixas, a member of a family with a distinguished patriotic record in New York City. Capt. Seixas was a Captain in Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Isaac Van Hook’s regiment, which took part in the defense of New York City and Harbor. This division was an organization composed of picked troops well equipped, properly uniformed and well drilled, having the reputation of being the best drilled and equipped body of militia in the service at the time.
After Mr. Noble had placed the official marker on the grave, Capt. N. Taylor Phillips, former President of the Congregation Shearith Israel, reviewed the history of the Congregation in its relation to the Revolution, the War of 1812 and other wars, and the acquisition of that cemetery in 1829, which was then located on the outskirts of the town. He singled out especially the patriot Jewish minister of the American Revolution, the Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas, the rabbi of the Congregation Shearith Israel, who closed up the synagogue when the British occupied New York and together with most of the leading members of the congregation moved to Philadelphia, where they continued holding services until the British had evacuated New York City.
Religious exercises were conducted by the Rev. Dr. D. de Sola Pool, the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel.
The cemetery is one of the interesting landmarks in New York City, containing tombstones dating from 1708. For although the cemetery was acquired in 1829, there were transferred to it from the older cemetery on the New Bowery a large number of graves and tombstones which had to be moved when the New Bowery was cut through in 1855.
CORRECTION
In the state reports of amounts paid in to the United Jewish Campaign, the reports of Kentucky and Delaware were run together. The report should have read:
Kentucky, 65% paid up. State Headquarters, Louisville; Col. Fred Levy, Chairman; Sol Levy, Treasurer; Sidney D. Handmaker, Secretary.
Delaware, 65% paid up. State Headquarters, Wilmington; David N. Snellenburg, Chairman; Max Keil, Tresurer; Rabbi L. A. Mischkind, Secretary.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
