Jewish communities from European countries will be invited to participate in the 300th anniversary celebration in 1954 of Jewish settlement in the United States, it was announced here today by the American Jewish Tercentenary Committee. Ralph E. Samuel, chairman of the Committee, is leaving tomorrow for Europe to consult with Jewish communal and religious leaders in England, the Netherlands and France, the announcement said.
“We could not properly celebrate three centuries of American Jewish history,” Mr. Samuel stated, “without recognizing the healthy influence of these early colonial powers. When the first Jewish settlers came to New Amsterdam in 1654, Governor Peter Stuyvesant was given direct orders from Holland permitting them to stay, granting freedom of worship, and affording them civil equality. This was one of the earliest and most important victories for human liberty in America. It stemmed from the freedom-loving instincts of the Dutch people, and became part of our American heritage.”
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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.