Jewish resources for researchers pop up in some strange places.
There's a blog by Eric Drummond Smith -- Hillbilly Savants By Appalachians, for Everyone -- and he has posted about the Jewish presence in Appalachia, with a nice compilation of interesting resources, and a list of more than 30 synagogues and their Web sites.
For those international readers who aren't exactly sure where Appalachia is, it generally covers the Southern states of Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Virginia.
Several years ago, I was tracking down a branch of my Galizianer FINK family (originally from Suchastow near Skalat).
I knew that a husband and wife in that branch had lived in West Virginia for a few years in the 1930s, and I was able to speak to the current rabbi. He checked the congregational archives. It turned out that my grandfather's sister was famous for her cooking and had won numerous blue ribbons and other prizes at county fairs.
12 December 2006
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Here is some real Jewish News from Appalachia; "Missouri Cherokee Tribes proclaim Jewish Heritage!"
ReplyDeleteThe Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory has recently shocked the world by claiming their ancient Oral legends tell of a Cherokee migration made to America from the area known as Masada.
This startling evidence is being offered to the public by Beverly Baker Northup whom is the spokesperson for their organization. The evidence offered in support of this connection to Cherokees escaping the mountain fortress of Masada is based in part of what Northup claims is stories passed down from elders and the similarity between ancient words.
Beverly Baker Northup believes there is a connection between these two peoples based on evidence of Jews of the region around Masada during Roman times wearing braided hair and the similarities that the spokesperson attributes to Hebrew language.
In explaining this connection Beverly Baker Northup is quoted as saying:
"The story has been kept alive among our Cherokee people that the Sicarii who escaped from Masada, are some of our ancestors who managed to cross the water to this land, and later became known as Cherokees. (Please note the phonetic resemblance of Si'cari'i and, Cherokee or Tsa'ra-gi'.)"
Northup claims that the famous scholar Josephus wrote that there were escapees from Masada in which the spokesperson for the Northern Cherokee states that this is evidence that gives credence to this connection between the Cherokee Indians and the Jews.
In addition to other startling claims, there is also the belief by the Northern Cherokee that a rock that was uncovered in Tennessee in 1889 that is named the Bat Creek Stone, proves a transatlantic connection to Jews. Northup believes that the scratched writings on the rock indicate that the stone is evidence of a first century Atlantic Crossing to America by these escaped Jews that later became known as the Northern Cherokee Indians.
The Northern Cherokee attempted to gain full legislative recognition in the State of Missouri in 1985 that was eventually vetoed by Governor John Ashcroft. Governor Ashcroft made the following statement concerning his decision to veto the recognition of the Northern Cherokee:
"The Federal Government has traditionally exercised authority with respect to Indian Affairs. I am not persuaded that the state has such a substantial interest in this area that it should become involved in the recognition of Indian tribes."
Sources among some federally recognized Indian Tribes have stated that Mr. Ashcroft's comments were 100% correct and should be referred to from time to time.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/2/prweb56538.php
For those that don't know the Sicari were a very strict and tough group of Jewish zealots from the time of the Maccabees.The decendents of the Iroqouan Tribes Married into many different ethnic groups.
Shalom,
Dave Ben Eri
I HAVE GOOD FRIEND HERE IN LAWRENCEBURG TENNESSEE THAT WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU, HE IS CHEROKEE AND MANY IN THE TRIBE HAVE TURN ON HIM BECAUSE OF LOVE FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE THEN WHEN THROUGH DNA THERE IS NO DOUGHT HE IS.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if that explains why I'm almost 1/2 Cherokee Indian with the last name Diamond. I've been told my whole life I look Jewish. Something may be coming together here...
ReplyDelete