Jacob Barsimson

Jacob Barsimson was one of the earliest Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam, which is now New York City. He was an Ashkenazi Jew from Central Europe and came to explore the possibility of a new home for Jewish people leaving Europe.

Barsimson arrived in New Amsterdam on August 22, 1654, on a ship called the Peartree. He had left the Netherlands on July 8 and carried a special passport from the Dutch West India Company. At that time, many Jews were looking for new places to live after leaving areas like Dutch Brazil.

After Barsimson, a group of 23 Jews arrived from Brazil and set up the first Jewish synagogue in what would become the United States. This synagogue was called Congregation Shearith Israel. Most of these settlers were Sephardic Jews.

Jewish rights

Governor Peter Stuyvesant made it hard for Jewish people living in New Amsterdam. They couldn’t join the town guard or openly practice their Jewish religion. Stuyvesant wrote to leaders in Amsterdam, saying they were doing things he didn’t agree with.

In 1655, Jacob Barsimson and another settler named Asser Levy asked to either join the town guard like everyone else or to not pay a special tax. The government said no, but Levy later joined the guard in 1657. That same year, they were allowed to build a Jewish cemetery after asking again.

Soon after, leaders in Holland told Stuyvesant to stop treating Jewish people unfairly. In June 1658, Barsimson was asked to come to court on a Saturday, but the court said it was okay because it was his Sabbath, so he didn’t have to go. This happened twice that month.