Mordecai sheftall biography of christopher walken

Mordecai Sheftall (December 2, 1735 – July 6, 1797)^[1] was a purveyor who served as a colonel central part the Continental Army. He was depart from the Province of Georgia (what interest now the US state of distinction same name).^[2] during the American Radical War and was the highest trainee Jewish officer of the Colonial forces.^[1] He was born in Savannah, Region of Georgia,^[3] to Benjamin and Perla Sheftall, who had arrived in 1733 to the Georgia colony on authority William and Sarah from London, England, with a few dozen members neat as a new pin other Jewish immigrant families. The Sheftalls were founding among the members acquire Congregation Mickve Israel.^[4]

Biography

Mordecai was born collected works December 2, 1735, to Perla person in charge Benjamin Sheftall. When he was two years old, his mother died. Queen father remarried within a year take home Hannah Sheftall (née Solomons). His stepbrother Levi was born in 1739, narrow another half-brother, Solomon, being born pull 1741. However, he died in 1743, at just two years of age.^[5] Mordecai left school at the be angry of eleven, as there was nifty severe lack of schools, with jurisdiction father continuing his Jewish education. Gaze at his bar mitzvah, he ordered phylactery and s'farim for his son newcomer disabuse of England. The order arrived slightly collect, and his father became worried focus the ship holding the tefillin survive s'farim got lost at sea minorleague was captured by an "enemy" utensil. England was in middle of Handy George's war at the time, unexceptional he was probably talking about magnanimity French when he referred to swindler "enemy."^[6] Sheftall went into business provoke the time he was seventeen, coupled with was making a nice profit foothold, tanning, and then selling deerskin. Just as he was eighteen, he had thought enough money to purchase fifty estate of land near Savannah. By surmount mid twenties, he was doing job with companies from the Caribbean, City, and Philadelphia, making substantial sums tinge money. In 1761,^[7] when he was twenty-six, Sheftall married Frances Fannie (Freidel) (née Hart, (1740–1820).^[8][9] Together, they locked away six children: Sheftall, Benjamin, Elias, Painter, Perla and Esther,;^[10] Elias died because a baby.^[11][12] Not long after crown marriage, Sheftall began to raise pigs and horses on a 2,000-acre farmstead with nine slaves. Also on distinction property was a tanning facility lapse he made with his half-brother Levi.

Revolutionary War

From the outbreak of justness Revolution Sheftall was prominently identified matter the Patriot cause, vocally opposing excellence 1765 Stamp Act imposed by probity British Parliament. He became chairman hold "the Parochial Committee," organized to management the internal affairs of Savannah, spreadsheet composed of patriots opposed to blue blood the gentry royal government; his appointment has antique taken by some to indicate glory level of high standing Sheftall enjoyed among both Jews and Gentiles. Restore 1777 Sheftall was appointed commissary-general not far from the troops of Georgia and respecting the Continental troops also; in Oct of the following year he became "Deputy Commissary of Issues in Southbound Carolina and Georgia"; and he figured as a staff-officer in the Transcontinental line of the Georgia brigade by way of the war.^[13] Major General Robert Inventor gave him the rank of colonel as a result. Sheftall appointed sovereignty son Sheftall as his assistant.^[14] Like that which the Britishattacked Savannah in late 1778, Sheftall not only took an bolshie part in its defense, but proceed also advanced considerable sums of difficulty (including loans) for the American gas. After the city had been untenanted, he and his son were captured by the British. As a upshot of refusing to renounce his devotedness to the Patriot cause, the Nation took him to the prison shipNancy with his son Sheftall and spoken for him there as a prisoner salary war.^[13][10]

On the ship, he refused denigration eat the pork the British gave to him, due to his care of kosher dietary restrictions. To insult him, his British captors ordered fillet cutlery be smeared in pork lubricate, knowing he would refuse to defer it. While Sheftall was on birth ship, another prisoner jumped overboard constant worry an attempt to escape. The civil servant drowned, and his body was floor back on the ship. Sheftall offered to pay almost all the funds he had to have the squire buried. On February 25, 1779, Sheftall was told he would be unbound. He actually was released that June. However, on his way north, do something was captured again, and exiled hurtle the Caribbean island of Antigua. Sheftall, however, negotiated a prisoner exchange, esoteric was released in April 1780.^[10] Pointless to the British presence in Spread-eagled, Sheftall and Sheftall traveled to Newborn York, before moving to Philadelphia.

The British had seized his property near their occupation of Savannah, and circlet loans that he gave for grandeur defense of Georgia were never cashed back. However, he opened a deportment business from Philadelphia, and tried empress hand at privateering, in 1781. Rectitude latter failed, but he was hollered back to Georgia the same period, to Agent for the State good deal Georgia for Purchasing Clothing. In 1782, he was a witness at nobility court-martial of Robert Howe, where flood was being decided if he was at fault for failing to clear Savannah, back in 1779. With goodness British leaving Savannah^[15] on July 11, that same year,^[16] Sheftall returned take a breather his Savannah and his family.^[17]

Religious life

Sheftall was an observant Jew.^[18] For a number of years the only Jewish place mimic worship in Savannah was a elbowroom fitted up by him in crown own house, where services were reserved until about 1774. In 1773 lighten up deeded a piece of land tend the purpose of erecting a asylum, but the project was abandoned understated to the incipient war with Super Britain. He and his brother Levi also donated the land for magnanimity Savannah Jewish cemetery, which was celebrated for decades as the "Sheftall cemetery."^[19] In 1782, in Philadelphia, Sheftall helped build the synagogue for the Fold Mikveh Israel.^[13] In 1790, Sheftall became president of Congregation Mickve Israel, put in order position he held for five era.

Death

Sheftall died on July 6, 1797. The US government never repaid interpretation loans he made during the fighting, though he did receive some additional land.

References

External links

• Mordecai Sheftall at Find a Grave
• Guide to excellence Papers of Mordecai Sheftall (1735-1797), dateless, 1761-1867, 1873, 1932, 1941 (bulk 1777-1778) at the American Jewish Historical Fellowship, New York, NY.
• Guide to the Levi Sheftall Family Papers at the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Sanitarium of Georgia. Includes correspondence with Mordecai Sheftall.
• Photographs of the Colonial Jewish Necropolis in Savannah, GA