In 19th century America, Jewish immigrants became dominant in tailoring, as they were barred from many trades.They found opportunity in garment making, and helped shape the early American clothing industry.

Levi Strauss, a German-Jewish immigrant and founder of Levi Strauss & Co, sponsored many Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in Europe, in the late 19th century, he funded travel, housing, and jobs helping build San Francisco’s early Jewish community.

Civil War-era trade token (1863) from the Felix Dining Saloon at 256 Broadway, NYC. Hebrew word for “kosher” and address. Owned by Marx & Ederheimer, who ran multiple kosher spots from 1861–1873. Rare glimpse into early kosher NYC.

Borscht, a beet based soup, was a staple in Ashkenazi kitchens of Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine and Poland. Often served hot or cold. It became iconic in Jewish delis in the 19th century.

February 2, 1860 issue of the New York Herald reports on Rabbi Morris Raphall delivering the opening prayer at the Thirty Sixth Congress,the first time a rabbi did so. A milestone in U.S. Jewish history, it marked growing recognition of Jewish faith in public life.

Newspaper clipping from the Connecticut Gazette, October 8, 1790, featuring a letter from Moses Seixas of the Newport, Rhode Island Congregation to President George Washington, along with Washington's reply.

The Touro Synagogue in Newport Rhode Island dedicated in 1763,is the oldest Synagogue in America, dating back to the colonial era. In a letter to the community in 1790, George Washington pledged that our new nation would give “to bigotry no sanction,to persecution no assistance.”

״More than ever before the civilized world of today will look up to the United States of America for guidance as behooves the world's foremost Super Power”…. ~The Rebbe,in a 1982 letter to Ronald Reagan

Solomon Bush, a Jewish officer in the Continental Army, was wounded in battle and later captured by the British. Despite hardship, he strove to observe Jewish holidays and dietary laws during military service an early example of Jewish faith under American fire.

Isaac Franks a Sephardic Jew from Philadelphia, served as a Continental Army officer in the Revolution. In 1793, during a yellow fever outbreak, President Washington temporarily stayed at Franks’s Germantown home, now a historic presidential residence landmark.

Haym Solomon, a Polish-born Jewish financier, played a vital role in the American Revolution. A key broker of French loans, he personally supported Washington’s troops, earning the title “Financier of the Revolution.”

“God Bless America,” written by Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin), a Jewish immigrant from Russia, became a timeless patriotic anthem. First penned in 1918 and revised in 1938, it reflects Berlin’s deep love for his adopted country.

President and founding father John Adams to Mordecai Manuel Noah in 1819: “I wish that you had been at the head of one hundred thousand Israelites, making a conquest of that country and restoring their nation.For I really wish the Jews again in Judea,as an independent nation…

In 1751, artist James McArdell made a detailed print of Rabbi Aaron Hart, the first Chief Rabbi of the UK. The print is one of the best early images of a rabbi and honors his important role in British Jewish history.

Founded in 1848 by Isaac Leeser, Philadelphia’s Hebrew Education Society was one of the first Jewish educational institutions in America. By 1851, its school had 22 students. It later expanded to Touro Hall, offering Hebrew, English, trades, a library, and night school.

Shawarma,originated in 19th century Turkey. It spread across the Middle East, reaching Israel with Jewish immigrants from Arab lands. In Israel, it became a street food staple, often served in laffa with tahini and salad.

Reggio di Calabria, Italy, had a vibrant Jewish community by the 11th century. It became a center of Hebrew scholarship and printing, producing the first dated Hebrew book in 1475, Rashi’s Torah commentary. The community declined after expulsions in the 16th century.

Solomon Carvalho painted President Lincoln shortly after the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination. This rare portrait honors Lincoln’s integrity and leadership during a time of great turmoil. It remains the only known Lincoln portrait created by a contemporary Jewish artist.

Solomon Carvalho born in Charleston, South Carolina to a Sephardic Jewish family, was one of the first Jewish American painters. A portraitist and early photographer, he joined John C. Frémont’s 1853 expedition, capturing frontier life and leaving a lasting artistic legacy.

Falafel likely began in Egypt, in the 4th century, made originally from fava beans. In the 1950s, Jewish immigrants from Yemen and Iraq popularized it in Israel. It became an iconic street food, served in pita with tahini, salad & pickles, an unofficial national dish.