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Jews of New Amsterdam petition for a Jewish cemetery

The Jewish arrival in New Amsterdam on September 1654 was the first known migration of a Jewish community to North America.

The Jewish arrival in New Amsterdam on September 1654 was the first known migration of a Jewish community to North America. It comprised 23 Sephardic Jews, refugees "big and little," families fleeing persecution by the Portuguese Inquisition after the conquest of Dutch Brazil. It is widely commemorated as the starting point of the history of Jews in New York and the United States.

The Jews had sailed from Recife, Brazil on the ship Valck, one of at least sixteen that left for the Netherlands at the end of the Dutch–Portuguese War, after the Dutch lost. Valck was blown off course in the Caribbean, en route to either Jamaica or Cuba.

According to the accounts of Saul Levi Morteira and David Franco Mendes, the ship's passengers were then taken by Spanish pirates for a time.

Historical Significance

The Jewish arrival in New Amsterdam on September 1654 was the first known migration of a Jewish community to North America.

Events Before

  1. Louis XIV is crowned King of France

    Louis XIV (5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand [lwi lə ɡʁɑ̃]) or the Sun King (le Roi Soleil [lə ʁwa sɔlɛj]), was King of France from 1643 until his...

  2. Fire after heavy storm destroys two thirds of De Rijp, Netherlands, 1 person dies

    Fire after heavy storm destroys two thirds of De Rijp, Netherlands, 1 person dies

  3. Portuguese troops conquer last Dutch base on Recife

    Dutch Brazil (Dutch: Nederlands-Brazilië; Portuguese: Brasil Holandês), also known as New Holland (Dutch: Nieuw-Holland), was a colony of the Dutch Republic in the northeastern portion of modern-day...

  4. Dutch tragedy "Lucifer" by Joost van den Vondel, and regarded as his masterpiece, premieres in Amsterdam - banned three

    Dutch tragedy "Lucifer" by Joost van den Vondel, and regarded as his masterpiece, premieres in Amsterdam - banned three days later

  5. Anglo-Swedish alliance: commercial trade agreement between England and Sweden is signed

    Anglo-Swedish alliance: commercial trade agreement between England and Sweden is signed

Events After

  1. Oldest surviving commercial newspaper, "Weeckelycke Courante van Europa", now known as "Haarlems Dagblad", and still in

    Oldest surviving commercial newspaper, "Weeckelycke Courante van Europa", now known as "Haarlems Dagblad", and still in print, begins publication in Haarlem, Netherlands

  2. English Poet and author of epic "Paradise Lost" John Milton (47) marries 2nd wife Katherine Woodcock

    English Poet and author of epic "Paradise Lost" John Milton (47) marries 2nd wife Katherine Woodcock

  3. Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas, laden with gold and jewellery bound for Spain, sinks off the coast of

    Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas, laden with gold and jewellery bound for Spain, sinks off the coast of the Bahamas, only 45 of 650 people survive (most eaten by sharks) [1]

  4. Frederick William I of Brandenburg and King Charles X Gustav of Sweden sign the Treaty of Königsberg

    Frederick William I of Brandenburg and King Charles X Gustav of Sweden sign the Treaty of Königsberg

  5. First Jewish doctor in North American colonies, Jacob Lumbrozo, arrives in Maryland

    First Jewish doctor in North American colonies, Jacob Lumbrozo, arrives in Maryland

More from the 1650s

Oldest surviving commercial newspaper, "Weeckelycke Courante van Europa", now known as "Haarlems Dagblad", and still in

Oldest surviving commercial newspaper, "Weeckelycke Courante van Europa", now known as "Haarlems Dagblad", and still in print, begins publication in Haarlem, Netherlands

New Amsterdam becomes a city, later renamed New York City

New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States.

First known cheque written (£400), now on display at Westminster Abbey

First known cheque written (£400), now on display at Westminster Abbey

Grand Pensionary of Holland Johan de Witt marries Wendela Bicker

Wendela Bicker (Amsterdam, baptized 30 December 1635 – 1 July 1668) was the wife of Johan de Witt.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 27, 1655?
The Jewish arrival in New Amsterdam on September 1654 was the first known migration of a Jewish community to North America. It comprised 23 Sephardic Jews, refugees "big and little," families fleeing persecution by the Portuguese Inquisition after the conquest of Dutch Brazil. It is widely commemorated as the starting point of the history of Jews in New York and the United States.
Why is Jews of New Amsterdam petition for a Jewish cemetery significant?
The Jewish arrival in New Amsterdam on September 1654 was the first known migration of a Jewish community to North America.

Explore More

July 27 in HistoryYear 1655