JUDAH

JUDAH, surname of at least three colonial American families not known to be related. -New York Judahs BARUCH JUDAH (c. 1678–1774), who was born in Breslau, founded a family appearing in New York, Newport, Rhode Island, and Richmond, Virginia, in colonial times. Baruch became a freeman of New York in 1715 or 1716. He was active in the affairs of Congregation Shearith Israel. A son, HILLEL (c 1730–1815), a shoḥet in Newport and a New York merchant, married Abigail, daughter of Isaac Mendes seixas . Three of their sons were connected with Beth Shalom Congregation in Richmond: BARUCH H. (1763–1830) as a founder, ISAAC H. (1761–1827) as ḥazzan, and MANUEL (1769–1834) as a trustee. SAMUEL (1728–1781), another son of the elder Baruch, was a well-known New York merchant. In 1770 he signed the Non-Importation Agreement, a boycott of British goods. His eldest child, BENJAMIN S. (1760–1831), conducted an extensive trade with the West Indies and was a founder of the New York Tontine (1786). His youngest child, WALTER JONAS (1778–1798), a student at the medical school of Columbia College, died while treating patients during a yellow fever epidemic. Another son, NAPHTALI (1774–1855), was a New York printer, publisher, and merchant. In 1797 he published D. Levi's Defence of the Old Testament, against attacks by the deists Thomas Paine and Joseph Priestley. Naphtali Judah was active in Congregation Shearith Israel, serving as president and committee member, particularly in matters involving cemetery maintenance. He also established strong ties with the non-Jewish community, as a member of the Tammany Society, holding the office of sachem; as a prominent Mason; and as one of the original subscribers of New York Hospital in 1811. The oldest child of Benjamin S. was samuel benjamin helbert judah , the playwright. His son EMANUEL (d. 1839) achieved some reputation as an actor. -Canadian Judahs Another family of Judahs, also originating from Breslau, was established in Canada by SAMUEL JUDAH (1725–1789). He went to Canada with Lord Amherst's army and was one of the founders of the Montreal Jewish community, establishing himself there by 1761. He and his brother-in-law aaron hart of Trois Rivières, Canada, later conducted an extensive business in furs with London. He sympathized with the colonists during the Revolutionary War, lending them a considerable sum of money which was never repaid. His brother URIAH (1714–1782) became prothonotary of Trois Rivières in 1768. His son BERNARD S. (1777–1831) married Aaron Hart's daughter Catherine. The eldest of their nine sons, SAMUEL (1799–1869), who was born in New York City, became a pioneer Middle Western lawyer and politician. He graduated from Rutgers College in 1816, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. He settled in Vincennes, Indiana, in 1818. From Vincennes he practiced law widely. He was a close friend of Henry Clay. Samuel became active in politics and was elected several times to the Indiana legislature, in 1840 serving as speaker of its house of representatives. In 1830 he was appointed U.S. attorney for the district of Indiana, serving to 1833. He was a man of culture, known for his proficiency in Greek and Latin. -Connecticut Judahs MICHAEL JUDAH (D. 1786) was a businessman of Norwalk and Hartford, Connecticut, and New York City. He willed his   property to the Jews of New York City. His descendants were not Jewish. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Stern, Americans, 101–3; Rosenbloom, Biog Dict, 78–81; D. de Sola Pool, Portraits Etched in Stone (1952), index; T. and D. de Sola Pool, An Old Faith in the New World (1955), index; B.G. Sack, History of the Jews in Canada (1964), index. (Irving I. Katz and Leo Hershkowitz)