Credit: Courtesy of the Congregation Mikveh Israel, Philadelphia.
The first American-born rabbi, Gershom Seixas (1745-1806) came to Philadelphia in 1782 to join other Jews who had fled from New York after British occupation of that city in 1776. In 1784, Seixas returned to New York. One of his sons, David Seixas, would later help establish the Deaf and Dumb Institute of Philadelphia.
