The Torah Bells of Myer Myers: Ancient Traditions in a New Land
By Rabbi Marc D. Angel

The Yale University Art Gallery exhibition of works of Myer Myers, magnificently cu rated by David Barquist, features remarkable examples of the craftsmanship of one of Americas outstanding early silver and gold smiths. Among the extraordinary pieces on display are a number of Torah Bells (Rimonim) that Myers had made for Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, Yeshuat Israel in Newport, and Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia. These bells must be counted among Myers most distinguished and most beautiful creations.

These Torah bells, fashioned by Myer Myers in Colonial New York, are silent witnesses that reflect a multi-faceted story involving religious, aesthetic, cultural, sociological and historical aspects. They tell us something about Jewish tradition, about Myer Myers, about the early Jewish community of New York City, and about America.

The Jewish Tradition of Torah Bells

Since antiquity, the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) has been the central religious text of the Jewish people. Torah scrolls are written by scribes well-trained in the intricacies of Jewish law. Synagogue services on Sabbaths, holy days, and on Monday and Thursday mornings include reading from the Torah scroll.

The scrolls, written on parchment, are generally attached at each end with a wooden handle. The Talmud (Megillah 25b-26b) makes reference to cases in which the Torah scrolls were kept, and also mentions cloth wrappings for the scrolls. While, according to Jewish law, the text of the Torah may not be embellished with any artistic illustrations, Jews have always felt the desire to show reverence for the Torah by providing external ornamentation. The great medieval codifier of Jewish law, Moses Maimonides, notes that silver and gold bells adorning Torah scrolls are considered to be objects of holiness, and may not be discarded in a disrespectful manner (Laws of Torah Scrolls 10:4).

Jewish tradition teaches that one should rise respectfully when in the immediate presence of a Torah scroll. It has been suggested that bells were originally affixed to the Torah scrolls to alert seated individuals of the approach of the Torah. They would then be able to arise as a token of honor for the Torah.

Vivian Mann, editor of a volume "Crowning Glory: Silver Torah Ornaments of the Jewish Museum, New York" (published by the Jewish Museum, 1996), details the history of Torah ornaments in her introductory chapter. She traces various forms of ornamental items (e.g. cases, textiles) to antiquity. Free-standing silver and gold bells and crowns, as distinct from those actually attached to a Torah case, seem to date back to the early middle ages.

Torah bells, thus, represent a deeply rooted tradition among Jews to ornament Torah scrolls, thereby demonstrating reverence for the Torah and its teachings. Through their proximity to the Torah scrolls, the bells themselves gain the status of being objects of sanctity.

When Myer Myers decided to fashion Torah bells for the synagogues in New York, Newport and Philadelphia, he was participating in an age-old Jewish tradition. He must have felt singularly privileged to be blessed with the talent to create such beautiful artifacts in honor of the Torah. For Jewish silver and gold smiths throughout the generations, creating Rimonim to adorn Torah scrolls was among their most cherished desires.

Myer Myers: Some Biographical Information

Myer Myers (1723-1795) was born in New York, the son of Jewish immigrants of Dutch background. Presumably, he received his education at the school operated by Congregation Shearith Israel, the only synagogue in New York City at the time and the only one until 1825! The school taught religious and general subjects, and we may assume that Myers was a proficient student.

Myers grew up to become one of the active leaders of the Congregation, serving as president in 1759 as well as 1770. His name appears frequently in the synagogue record books as a member of the Board of Trustees, and as chairman of various committees. In 1761, he was one of five prominent members of Shearith Israel to be appointed to reformulate the rules and regulations governing the Congregation.

An ardent patriot, he along with many other patriotic New Yorkers fled the city when it appeared that the British would occupy it. Most of the Jews in New York were supporters of the patriot cause, and many including Myer Myers served in American militias. In 1776, he and his family moved to Norwalk, Connecticut; in 1782, we find the Myers family living in Philadelphia. He and other New York Jews in exile were among those who strengthened and reorganized the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Philadelphia, Mikveh Israel.

After the British were driven from New York and General George Washington entered the city late in 1783, exiled New Yorkers including the Jewish exiles began to return home. Myer Myers joined two other leaders of Shearith Israel on December 9, 1783, as the delegation to convey the loyal greetings of the Jewish community of New York to Governor Clinton.

Myers played an important role in reorganizing the congregation in New York City. In 1784, he was active in a project related to expanding the grounds of the Jewish cemetery. The synagogue minute book records: "On the 18th of July 1784, a meeting of the Trustees was held; present all the members; Mr. Myer Myers, being reelected to the Chair, informed them that, Mr. Hayman Levy and Mr. Solomon Simson had bargained with Mr. Isaac Roosevelt for the ground adjacent to the Burying place for eighty pounds, one half to be paid on delivery of the deed, and the other half in twelve months or sooner." The board voted to purchase the land.

In May 1784, Myer Myers was elected one of six Trustees of the Congregation. He was one of three members appointed to frame by-laws for the proper functioning of the congregation. In 1787, he was called upon to engrave a Hebrew inscription on candlesticks that had been donated to Shearith Israel by Isaac Moses.

Myer Myers first wife, Elkalah Myers Cohen, died on August 8, 1765 at the age of thirty, leaving him three sons and two daughters. On March 18, 1767, he married Joyce Mears, a cousin of his first wife. She bore him another eight children. Several of the children died very young.

To support his family, he had a shop where he worked as a goldsmith and silversmith. He served several times as president of New York's Gold and Silversmiths Society. As is demonstrated by the exhibition at the Yale University Art Gallery, Myer Myers created works of superior quality and attracted an impressive list of customers.

The Mill Street Synagogue of Congregation Shearith Israel, where Myers was to devote so much of his time and energy, was the first Jewish synagogue building in North America. It was consecrated on the seventh day of Passover, April 8, 1730, when Myer Myers was just a young boy. Prior to the construction of their own synagogue building, the Jews had prayed in rented quarters.

The Mill Street Synagogue was only thirty-five feet square. Although it included a balcony for the seating of women, it was only twenty-one feet in height. Thus, it is clear that the Jewish community of New York at the time was not too numerous. They could all fit into this fairly small building.

The current synagogue building of Shearith Israel on 70th Street and Central Park West, consecrated in 1897, includes the Little Synagogueta small chapel reminiscent of the Mill Street Synagogue. Many of the furnishings of the Little Synagogue date back to our earlier synagogue buildings, including the first Mill Street Synagogue. Myer Myers sat on these benches, he stood at this readers desk, he viewed these candlesticks surrounding the readers desk. We have two Torah scrolls dating back to before the American Revolution, and it is likely that Myer Myers read from them and heard the weekly Torah reading from them. We also have some plain Torah bells, very simple and spare, which were used as ornaments on the Torah scrolls. Seeing these bells so often at synagogue services, perhaps Myer Myers gained the inspiration to create bells of a far more elegant quality!


The Western Sephardic Tradition

Shearith Israel in New York was part of the Western Sephardic tradition. So too were the other four congregations in Colonial America. Although the Jewish community in New York was composed of both Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews, the Sephardic tradition prevailed.

The Western Sephardic tradition developed primarily in Amsterdam and other Western European centers. These communities were established largely by ex-conversos who were returning to Judaism, after having lived in the Iberian Peninsula as crypto-Jews. Upon returning to the Jewish fold, they developed communities that were characterized by orderliness and decorum in the synagogue; commitment to Jewish tradition; involvement in the life of general society. Professor Mair Jose Benardete has referred to them as Renaissance Sephardim, priding themselves on their culture and social grace.

Rev. Ezra Stiles, President of Yale University, was a friend of a leading Jewish merchant of Newport, Aaron Lopez. In describing Lopez, Rev. Stiles underscored qualities that were characteristic of the Western Sephardic civilization: "In honor and aptitude of commerce, there was never a trader in America to equal him. In business he dealt with the highest degree of seriousness and clear-sightedness, showing always an affability in manner, a calm urbanity, an agreeable and sincere courtesy of manners. Without a single enemy, no one is known who was more universally loved."

In their "History of the Jews of Philadelphia", Wolf and Whiteman observe that the Sephardic contribution to early synagogue life in Philadelphia lay "in a tradition of organization, of rules and regulations, which dominated Mikveh Israel and produced a form of prayer, a method of government and a system of keeping records." Synagogue records were kept in elegant style "out of respect for orderliness and the written word."

When I first began serving Congregation Shearith Israel, in 1969, I spent many wonderful hours reading through our early record and minute books going back to 1728. I was profoundly moved by the seriousness of purpose reflected in these documents gracious calligraphy, solemn invocations of Gods name, descriptions of the activities and concerns of the Congregations leadership.

Orderliness and dignity were ideals of synagogue life among the Western Sephardim. Not only were the prayer services conducted in a decorous manner, the synagogue structures were noted for their grace and architectural neatness. The synagogues of Colonial America reflected a commitment to a high standard of aesthetics. Growing up in this cultural milieu must certainly have been a strong influence on the aesthetic sense of Myer Myers.

Each Congregation saw itself as the corporate voice of the Jewish people of its community. It was responsible for the needs of its members, and maintained rules for the proper internal governance of the Jewish community. As we have noted, Myer Myers was very much involved in formulating and reformulating the rules governing Shearith Israel in New York.

Among Western Sephardim, each member of the Congregation is known as a "yahid", an individual. This title conveys a sense of pride, honor and self-worth. In the earliest extant constitution and by-laws of Shearith Israel, there is a provision that anyone who caused an affront to an individual was to be fined. Respect and courtesy were to be maintained.

It is clear, then, that Myer Myers was raised in a community that valued beauty and gracefulness, that respected individuality, and that encouraged its members to participate actively in general society. The Western Sephardic tradition did not isolate itself within physical and spiritual ghettos.

The Communal Context

Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas (1746-1816) was the spiritual leader of Shearith Israel for a period spanning nearly fifty yearst1768-1776 and again after the Revolution 1784-1816. Myer Myers, who was president of the Congregation in 1770tearly in the career of Rev. Seixas continued to be an active leader of the Congregation during Rev. Seixas tenure. Indeed, Myers and Seixas were related by marriage. Seixas like Myers grew up in New York and attended the Shearith Israel school. He was a product off and later a teacher of the ideals of Judaism as espoused by the Western Sephardic tradition.

The historian Jacob Rader Marcus noted Seixas "insistence on Western dress, decorum, dignity." Seixas had wide intellectual interests and was active in communal affairs. In 1784 he was elected to serve on the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. He was one of the incorporators of Columbia College, originally known as Kings College. He served as a trustee of the college from December 1784 through July 1814. He mingled with the intellectual, religious and business leaders of New York. Christian scholars of Hebrew sought his instruction.

When Seixas died, the funeral was held in the Mill Street Synagogue of Shearith Israel, and he was eulogized by Jacob de la Motta, a leader of the Congregation. De la Motta stated that "Seixas, from an early period in life, was endowed with no commonplace intellect pursuing undeviatingly the most correct deportment; admired by all; esteemed alike in every grade of society. [He prosecuted] uninterruptedly a line of conduct that obtained for him the love, respect, and esteem of all sects."

The qualities of Seixas that de la Motta chose to emphasize, were precisely those qualities that were valued so highly by the Jewish community of New York breadth of intellect, correct deportment, respect from all segments of society. These were the virtues that imbued the Jewish community, including, of course, Myer Myers.

In 1768, Isaac Moses (who was later to serve as president of Shearith Israel) was among the founders of the New York Chamber of Commerce. Sampson Simson (also a future president of Shearith Israel) drafted the constitution of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1792, Benjamin Mendes Seixas, Ephraim Hart and Alexander Zuntz were among the founders of the New York Stock Exchange. And Myer Myers, as has been mentioned, served as president of the Gold and Silversmiths Society of New York.

During the 18th century, Jews in New York worked in various occupations: merchants, bookbinders, chocolate manufacturers, coppersmiths, a grocer, insurance broker, mariner, druggist, carpenter, boatman, and a curer of rheumatics.

Lewis Moses Gomez made his fortune as an importer and exporter. The Gomez family was the dominant family in the leadership of Shearith Israel during the eighteenth century. Lewis Gomez and his sons Daniel and David were traders with the Indians, and they set up a business outpost on the Hudson River. He built a stone trading post in Orange County, six miles north of Newburgh, for fur trading. The building still stands and is known as the Gomez House; it is operated as a historic site and museum.

Myer Myers brother-in-law, Hayman Levy, was also a merchant who sold all sorts of merchandise, foods, linens, clothes, soap, European and India Goods, beaver and deer leather. He also had extensive business dealings with Indians, and sold merchandise that he bought from them. Hayman Levy's place of business was on Mill Street, not far from the synagogue. A contemporary said of Levy: "The great respect they [the Indians] entertained for him and the universal confidence they had in him, were due to his thorough knowledge of their character, habits and wants, and to the fact that he was, in all his relations with them, and with others, an honest and high minded merchant. From his extensive connection with them, he became the largest fur trader in the colonies and one of the most opulent merchants in the city."

Another of Myer Myers contemporaries was Uriah Hendricks. After the Revolution, when the community was reorganizing itself, Hendricks and Myers were elected to superintend the Jewish cemetery and do what was necessary to keep it in proper condition. Hendricks was a successful merchant, and he was especially noted for his copper goods. His son, Harmon Hendricks, had ongoing business dealings with Paul Revere. It was Harmon Hendricks who in the early 19th century bought the Soho copper mill and the estate at Belleville, New Jersey. As Maxwell Whiteman pointed out in his book "Copper for America: the Hendricks Family and a National Industryt1755-1939", the move by Harmon Hendricks to mine, refine and roll copper in America "gave him the distinction of being the first copper merchant in the United States to step outside of the mercantile role to explore the path of industry."

Myer Myers knew and worked with these people, and others like them. He was part of an energetic, outward looking Jewish community, eager to play their roles and establish their good reputations in the emerging American society.

The American Context

Each year, around the time of Memorial Day, our Congregation has a special ceremony at our historic Chatham Square Cemetery. The cemetery dates back to 1683.

At this ceremony, we pay respect to those who laid the foundations for Jewish life in New York, and, indeed, in America. We mark the graves of those of our congregants who fought in the American Revolution. Myer Myers is buried in this cemetery, although the stone marker of his grave has eroded away over the course of the past two centuries.

The small Jewish community of New York, along with the Jewish communities of the other four Colonial congregations, were keenly aware of the blessings they enjoyed in America. The freedoms granted to all citizens, of all religious backgrounds, were not taken for granted by the Jews. They knew that so many Jewish communities around the world did not have these freedoms. They knew that even here in America, these freedoms had to be won. Under the Dutch, and then under the British, the Jews of New York struggled for the expansion of rights. When it became clear that a revolution against British rule was inevitable, a remarkably high number of Jews enrolled in the cause of the patriots as soldiers, as financial supporters, as enthusiastic advocates. Much of New York Jewry went into exile rather than to live under British rule.

Once the United States had been established as an independent nation, President George Washington proclaimed a day of national thanksgiving for November 26, 1789. Congregation Shearith Israel held a service on that first Thanksgiving Day (and has continued to do so each year since), at which time Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas delivered an address. He noted that the Jewish community had reason to rejoice "as we are made equal partakers of every benefit that results from this good government; for which we cannot sufficiently adore the God of our fathers who hath manifested his care over us in this particular instance; neither can we demonstrate our sense of His benign goodness, for His favourable interposition in behalf of the inhabitants of this land."

For the first time since antiquity, Jews were living in a land where they were equal citizens with equal rights. The small Jewish community of the early United States was keenly aware of the fact that they were enjoying rights and responsibilities denied to Jews in every other land in the world. They were committed to participating actively and proudly in American life, as full fledged citizens of the United States.

Myer Myers was among the ardent patriots of the Jewish community. He understood the importance2 of living in a free, open society, with a democratically elected government. He certainly must have felt privileged to be able to live a life faithful to Jewish tradition, while at the same time conducting a flourishing business with a large and diverse clientele.

A manifestation of Myers thoughts are evident in the address that he and two other Jewish leaders presented to Governor George Clinton on December 9, 1783. On behalf of the Jewish community of New York, they said: "Though the society we belong to is but small when compared with other religious societies, yet we flatter ourselves that none has manifested a more zealous attachment to the sacred cause of America in the late war with Great Britain. We derive therefore the highest satisfaction from reflecting that it pleased the Almighty Arbiter of events to dispose us to take part with the country we lived in; and we now look forward with pleasure to the happy days we expect to enjoy under a constitution wisely framed to preserve the inestimable blessings of civil and religious liberty. Taught by our Divine Legislator to obey our rulers, and prompted thereto by the dictates of our own reason, it will be the anxious endeavour of the members of our Congregation to render themselves worthy of these blessings, by discharging the duties of good citizens."

The address to Governor Clinton was made in the name of "the members of the ancient congregation of Israelites." Shearith Israel, after all, dates itself back to the arrival of twenty-three Jews in New Amsterdam in 1654. In 1783, the congregation was already in existence for almost 130 years! Even in the decades preceding the American Revolution, the Jews of the Colonies did enjoy widespread freedoms. They shared in the spirit of the newly developing American society and appreciated the significance of being constructive and faithful citizens.

Concluding Thoughts

The Torah bells fashioned by Myer Myers, as we have seen, are reflections of various influences: the Jewish tradition, the Western Sephardic heritage, Jewish communal life in 18th century New York, the American milieu. As a gifted gold and silversmith, Myer Myers drew on these influences to create objects of great beauty and significance.

In our Congregation, we do not treat the Torah bells as museum pieces, but as organic aspects of our religious ritual. The Torah bells generally can be seen in our synagogue each Sabbath morning, adorning one of our Torah scrolls. On Rosh Hashanah, and on other holy days, the Myer Myers Rimonim are placed atop the Torah scrolls that we use during services. Before reading the Torah, we customarily invite young children to participate in removing the bells and Torah cloak. Thus, the young generation of our Congregation come into direct contact with these centuries-old bells, created by one of our illustrious members of those days.

So, these beautiful bells are not just aesthetically pleasing; and they are not just historical mementos. They are used as part of our ongoing ritual. They continue to be a part of our synagogue service and synagogue ornamentation. And that is exactly what Myer Myers would have wanted.

Information for this lecture was drawn from the archives of Congregation Shearith Israel, and from the following published works:

Angel, Marc D., "Thoughts about Early American Jewry",
Tradition, Fall 1976.

Dexter, F. B., ed., The Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, New York,
1901, entry on June 8, 1782.

Mann, Vivian, ed., Crowning Glory: Silver Torah Ornaments Of the Jewish Museum NY, New York, 1996.

Marcus, J.R., "Handsome Young Priest in the Black Gown",
HUC Annual, vol. 40-41, 1969/70.

Pool, David and Tamar, An Old Faith in the New World,
New York, 1955.

Pool, David de Sola, Portraits Etched in Stone,
New York, 1952.

Rosenbaum, Jeanette, Myer Myers, Goldsmith 1723-1795,
Philadelphia, 1954.

Whiteman, Maxwell, Copper for America: The Hendricks Family And a National Industry 1755-1939,
New Brunswick, 1971.

Wolf, E., and Whiteman, M., The History of the Jews of Philadelphia,
Philadelphia, 1957.