Sephardic Jews and the Making of American Independence

Exploring 250 years of Sephardic Jewish contributions to American history through exhibition, biography, digital collection, education, and public programming.

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Selected Figures in Early America

These are selected figures featured in the American Sephardi Exhibition 2026. To explore more individuals and stories, please use the Sephardi Spaces archive search bar.

Aaron Lopez

Atlantic merchant shaping colonial Jewish networks.

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Jacob Rodriguez Rivera

Industrial innovator supporting Newport Jewish institutions.

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Francis Salvador

Revolutionary patriot and colonial political pioneer.

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Mordecai Sheftall

Revolutionary officer and Savannah communal leader.

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Haym Salomon

Financier supporting American revolutionary independence.

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Moshe Levy Yulee

Moroccan-born visionary behind Florida’s “Jewish kibbutz”.

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David Levy Yulee

Railroad builder and pioneering Jewish senator.

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Judah Philip Benjamin

Confederate statesman and influential legal thinker.

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Uriah Phillips Levy

Naval reformer preserving Jefferson’s Monticello legacy.

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Isaac Nunez Cardozo

Charleston official connected to Reform beginnings.

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Benjamin Nathan Cardozo

Supreme Court justice shaping American constitutional law.

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Gershom Mendes Seixas

Patriotic hazzan safeguarding Jewish communal continuity.

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Moses Seixas

Newport leader advancing American religious liberty.

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Isaac Harby

Charleston reformer, journalist, and playwright pioneer.

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Emma Lazarus

Poet advocating refugees and immigrant dignity.

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Rebecca Machado Phillips

Philanthropic leader strengthening Jewish communal welfare.

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Penina Moïse

Charleston poet and influential Reform hymnist.

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Annie Nathan Meyer

Educational activist founding Barnard College movement.

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Maud Nathan

Progressive reformer advancing labor rights and women’s suffrage.

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Sara Ann Hays Mordecai

Educational writer preserving early American Jewish memory.

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The American Sephardi Exhibition

The exhibition brings together historical research, public programming, conference discussions, and educational resources exploring the Sephardic experience in early America. The materials presented here include exhibition companion audio recordings and extended information related to the exhibition panels.