Historic District - North in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Jewish Colonists
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 17, 2010
1. Jewish Colonists Marker
A Sephardic Jew is a Jew who follows the customs and traditions followed by Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal) before their expulsion in the late 15th century. This includes both the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain under the Alhambra decree of 1492, or from Portugal by order of King Manuel I in 1497, and the descendants of crypto-Jews who left the Peninsula in later centuries to North Africa, Asia Minor, the Philippines and elsewhere around the world, and the descendants of crypto-Jews who remained in Iberia. Wikipedia
All of the families, with the exception of three, were Sephardic Jews, originally from Portugal or Spain; the other three families were Germanic.
Congregation Mickve Israel July 11, 1983.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1913.
Location. 32° 4.9′ N, 81° 5.443′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is in the Historic District - North. It can be reached from East River Street. Riverside, West of the Drayton Street Ramp. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Savannah GA 31401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Coastal Plain and on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Savannah in the American Revolution (a few steps from this marker); Savannah Waterfront (within shouting distance of this marker); African American Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Savannah and the Slave Trade
this page online
Regarding Jewish Colonists. Samuel Nunes (or Nunez), a physician, was one of the first Jewish immigrants to the Georgia colony in 1733. He provided vital medical aid, which helped the settlement survive its first year of existence. At first James Edward Oglethorpe, a member of the Trustees who directed Georgia's early settlement, did not know what to do about the Jewish immigrants. They, along with Catholics, were excluded from the religious liberty guaranteed other groups under the Georgia charter. After consulting a Charleston, South Carolina, lawyer, who ruled that the charter guaranteed religious freedom for all non-Catholics, Oglethorpe admitted the William and Sarah passengers and so informed the Trustees. He conveyed particular gratitude to Nunes, who had prescribed cold baths and cool drinks
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 17, 2010
2. Jewish Colonists Marker
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 17, 2010
3. Jewish Colonists Marker
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 17, 2010
4. Jewish Colonists Marker, along River Street, Riverside in Savannah
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,156 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 21, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
