Joseph Jonas (Cincinnati)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Jonas was the first Jew to settle in Cincinnati, Ohio
. He was an English-born peddler
, who arrived from Philadelphia on March 8, 1817. He became a successful watchmaker
and silversmith
and lived on Broadway between Fifth Street and Harrison. Jonas, like most early Jews, settled in downtown Cincinnati.
Jonas wrote letters describing the opportunities that existed in the Ohio River
valley. This convinced other Jews to join him including two younger brothers. In 1821, Morris Moses and Jonas, two of Cincinnati's then six Jews, purchased a lot from Nicholas Longworth
for $75.00, to found the Old Jewish Cemetery
.
By 1824 there were enough Jewish residents to fulfill the requirement of ten adult males so that regular religious services could be held, and the first Jewish congregation beyond the Allegheny Mountains
was established. This congregation became the Rockdale Temple
. Most of the early Jews were British
.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. He was an English-born peddler
Peddler
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
, who arrived from Philadelphia on March 8, 1817. He became a successful watchmaker
Watchmaker
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since virtually all watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers solely repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand...
and silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
and lived on Broadway between Fifth Street and Harrison. Jonas, like most early Jews, settled in downtown Cincinnati.
Jonas wrote letters describing the opportunities that existed in the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
valley. This convinced other Jews to join him including two younger brothers. In 1821, Morris Moses and Jonas, two of Cincinnati's then six Jews, purchased a lot from Nicholas Longworth
Nicholas Longworth (1783 - 1863)
Nicholas Longworth was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1783. In 1804 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he became a banker and a successful winemaker as well as founder of the Longworth family in Ohio...
for $75.00, to found the Old Jewish Cemetery
Old Jewish Cemetery, Cincinnati
The Old Jewish Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the oldest Jewish cemetery west of the Allegheny Mountains. Opened in 1821, it is located just northwest of Downtown Cincinnati in the Betts-Longworth Historic District. It is situated just west of Central Avenue on the north side of Chestnut Street,...
.
By 1824 there were enough Jewish residents to fulfill the requirement of ten adult males so that regular religious services could be held, and the first Jewish congregation beyond the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
was established. This congregation became the Rockdale Temple
Rockdale Temple
The Rockdale Temple, K.K. Bene Israel, is the oldest Jewish congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains, the oldest congregation in Ohio, the second oldest Ashkenazi congregation in the United States and one of the oldest synagogues in the United States...
. Most of the early Jews were British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
.