How about stepping back in time to explore the history of the Star of David and the Jewish community in Washington D.C.? The Star of David stands as a symbol of this community’s enduring presence. Its roots stretch back to the late 18th century.
The story begins with individual Jews settling here. Waves of Jewish migration followed in the 1840s, during the Civil War, and into the early 20th century. This steady growth shaped the community we see today. Now, Greater Washington boasts the third-largest Jewish community in the United States. This community remains influential in American politics and the wider Jewish world.
Let’s rewind to 1795. Isaac Polock, the first known Jewish resident, arrived. He built brick mansions near the White House. These buildings once housed the State Department and the Navy Secretary.
Major Alfred Mordecai, raised in an Orthodox home, settled here in 1828. His daughter Rosa was the first known Jew born in D.C.
More Jewish families arrived in the 1840s. These German Jewish immigrants often had ties to Baltimore’s Jewish community. In 1852, they established the Washington Hebrew Congregation. Captain Jonas Phillips Levy, while serving as president, lobbied Congress. He ensured the congregation’s right to own property. President Franklin Pierce signed this act into law in 1856. It remains the only congregation with its own Congressional charter. This congregation also opened the first Jewish school in the District.
During the Civil War, Washington D.C. became a focal point. The Jewish population grew tenfold. Six new kosher restaurants opened. The Washington Hebrew Congregation cared for injured Jewish soldiers. They buried unclaimed Jewish bodies. Women in the congregation raised funds for the U.S. Sanitary Commission.
In 1869, liturgical changes caused a split. Some members left to found Adas Israel. President Ulysses S. Grant attended its dedication in 1876. By 1880, the Jewish population reached roughly 1,500. Seventh Street Northwest became a hub for Jewish residents.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw more Jewish migration from Eastern Europe. The District’s Jewish population rose to 4,000. Many new immigrants were poor. The D.C. Jewish community established charities. These included a Hebrew Free Loan Society and a Jewish Foster Home.
World War I brought servicemen and government workers. The Jewish community organized social events. This led to the creation of the Jewish Community Center in 1926. In 1930, the Washington Jewish Week began publishing. The Jewish Community Council formed in 1938. It advocated for all Jewish organizations.
Zionist organizations also established chapters. Henrietta Szold founded a Hadassah chapter in 1919 after visiting D.C.
During the Great Depression, the Jewish community doubled. Jews came to work on New Deal projects. Social service organizations provided kosher food and housing. The Jewish community began to spread to the suburbs. Restrictive covenants prevented Jews from moving north. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled these unenforceable in 1948.
In the 1930s, the community aided rescue efforts for European Jews. They pressured the British government to allow immigration to Palestine. Justice Louis Brandeis hosted Zionist leaders.
During World War II, the community assisted Jewish newcomers. In 1941, the JCC found housing for 4,000 Jews. In 1944, the Hebrew Academy opened.
After the war, the community secretly raised funds for illegal immigration to Palestine. They purchased the first embassy for Israel.
The Jewish population grew from 20,000 in 1945 to 110,000 in 1970. Synagogues and organizations moved to the suburbs.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the community was active in the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1970s and 1980s, they advocated for Soviet Jews.
In the 1990s, the original JCC building reopened. In 1997, 165,000 Jews lived in Greater Washington. The Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum opened to preserve D.C.’s Jewish history.
Today, Washington D.C. houses the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The National Museum of American Jewish Military History also stands here. The community remains the third largest in the United States. As of 2018, an estimated 300,000 Jews live in the Washington metropolitan area.
The Star of David here symbolizes a vibrant history. It represents resilience and growth of the Jewish community in Washington D.C.. This community continues to evolve. It honors its past while embracing the future.