[net.religion.jewish] Synagogue vs. Miqvah

segs@mhuxv.UUCP (slusky) (12/10/84)

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A few weeks ago, Yaqim brought up an interesting point in a response to Mike
Cherepov. Yaqim  said that shuls were secondary to miqvahs as far as their
importance to traditional Jewish communities.
No argument.
However, when I think of how the history of the establishment of a Jewish
community in North America was presented in (Jewish) history class, I remember
something like the following:
They requested permission from Stuyvesant to settle in New Amsterdam
and established a shul which still survives as Shearith Yisrael.
I wonder, did they establish a miqvah first? Or had adherance to laws of
family purity lapsed after the years of dragging from Portugal
to Holland to Brazil to New Amsterdam?
Of course, this question applies to the settlements up and down the east coast
(Savannah, Charleston, Newport, Philly).
Were there colonial American miqvahs (miqvot)?
Did their establishment precede the establishment of shuls as the various
American Jewish communities took root?
How could I find out?

Susan Slusky
mhuxv!segs
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