Judah Monis

See below for the second part of his life, when he migrated to the USA from 1715.

The following URL (from defunct Akevoth site) is no longer active: https://www.dutchjewry.org/phpr/amsterdam/tim_sephard_marriages/ams... but a partial transcription can be found:- https://www.dutchjewry.org/portugese_marriages/pers/945pers.shtml

Groom first name: Juda Groom patronym: Monis Groom birth year: 1686 Groom origin: Livorno Witness groom first name: Israel Witness groom patronym: Morales Bride first name: Anna Bride patronym: Baruch Bride last name: Rosa Bride birth year: 1685 Witness bride first name: Isaac Witness bride patronym: Baruch Witness bride last name: Rosa Witness bride family relation: vader Marriage year: 1707 Marriage act nr: 705-335

David ZIants notes that on original marriage record, the age of the groom Judah can be read 23, and I think that this might be the correct rendering. On the other hand, it might be a "1", although different to the "1" in year "1707", and then to resonate with his known year of birth in the USA, possibly he changed his year of birth as that is what people often did for a bride who wanted to marry a "younger" man.

Also the following URL is no longer active (see above) https://www.dutchjewry.org/phpr/amsterdam/port_isr_gem_marriages/am...

Groom First name: JEUDAH Groom Patronym: ISAAC Groom 1st last name: MONIS Bride First name: HANA Bride Patronym: ISAAC Bride 1st last name: BARUCH Bride 2nd last name: ROZA Civil year: 1706 Hebrew date: 5467 SEBAT 30

The Hebrew date corresponds to Wed, 2 February 1707 in the civil Gregorian calendar, or the evening before after dark (which is quite early in the winter).

David Ziants notes that we also have documentation of two of his entries into the USA, that of 1715 and that of 1716.

From Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1500 - 1900:- Name: Judah Monis Arrival: 1715; New York, New York Document type: Immigrant Record Accession #: 9997623440 Gale Id: 181461 Source publication code: 8270 Source: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index

From Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1500 - 1900:- Name: Judah Monis Arrival: 1716; New York, New York Document type: Immigrant Record Accession #: 9997623433 Gale Id: 2041634 Source publication code: 714 Source: Passenger and Immigration Lists Index

Follows are primarily articles concerning when Judah MONIS was at Harvard. One thing is noticed is that he was very secretive about his past from before he came to America. Thus, many of the articles express the sentiment that we do not know anything about his family, or what prompted him to come to America, etc. Maybe it is being now documented for the first time, that the record transcripts shown above are in fact those of Judah MONIS who sailed to America in 1715 (sailed back and then sailed again in 1716) and was given the position at Harvard.

We have his signature on various Dutch records, especially from when he married Hana, and his signature on receipts and letters at Harvard. Over a period of almost twenty years it is understandable that the signature would change, but there are a few signs that indicate that these are the signature of the same person. Some of the signatures at Harvard can be seen at the following links:- https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:47078239$1i https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:47078277$1i https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:47078277$2i

It is hoped that permission is granted so that the signatures on some of the Dutch documents can be uploaded to Geni.

Extract from http://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_Monis :-

Name: Monis, Judah (04 February 1683–25 April 1764) Eleanor F. Wedge https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0802300 Extract Monis, Judah (04 February 1683–25 April 1764), Hebraist and educator, was born to parents of unknown name and origin, although, according to at least one contemporary source, he was born in Italy (probably Venice) and was educated at the Hebrew academies in Leghorn and Amsterdam. Some scholars believe he may have been a member of a Portuguese Marrano family (on the evidence of his name), but his pronunciation of Hebrew—as indicated in the transliterations he used for his students—is “unmistakably that of the Italian Jews of his time” (Moore, p. 288)....

(David Ziants notes Leghorn is the same as Livorno.)

Judah Monis (February 4, 1683 – April 25, 1764)[1] was North America's first college instructor of the Hebrew language, teaching at Harvard College from 1722 to 1760, and authored the first Hebrew textbook published in North America. Monis was also the first Jew to receive a college degree in the American colonies.[2] His conversion to Christianity made him a figure of some controversy to both Jews and Christians.

https://books.google.nl/books?id=tKvzmDezJkkC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=M...

From https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-90100-476721282/vital-re... :- MONIS. Rabbi Judah, April 15, 1764, a. 81 y. 2 m. 21 d.

Source: Compilation of Published Sources MyHeritage.com [online database]. Lehi, UT, USA: MyHeritage (USA) Inc. https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-90100/compilation-of...

Record: https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-90100-476721282/vital-re... Unknown Country: USA; State: Massachusetts

Citation: Vital Records of Northborough, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1850 Text: ".... 18 d. MONIS.

• Rabbi Judah, April 15, 1764, a. 81 y. 2 m. 21 d. MOORE. s. Warrea-E. and Abigail-M., Jan. 2, 1850, a. 21 d...." Date: 1850-00-00 Place: Massachusetts, USA

  ---

From Biographical Summaries of Notable People:- Name: Judah Monis Gender: Male Birth: Feb 4 1683; Italy Death: Apr 25 1764 Religion: Sephardic law and customs Nationalities: Italy, United States of America Ethnicity: Jewish people Education: Harvard University

From https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-60933-173/history-of-nor... :- Rabbi Judah Monis was a native of Italy, born in 1683 or 1684. Of his parentage, and of the circumstances which led him to emigrate to America, we have no account, he was employed as an instructor in the Hebrew language, in Harvard University, about the year 1720,

Source: History of Northborough, Massachusettss (1880) MyHeritage.com [online database]. Lehi, UT, USA: MyHeritage (USA) Inc. https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-60933/history-of-nor...

Record: https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-60933-173/history-of-nor... Unknown

Citation: History of Northborough, Massachusettss (1880) Text: "... of the Rabbi Judah Monis was a native of Italy, born in 1683 or 1684. Of was delivered, in case of the absence of the aged and venerable L>r. Increase a brief notice of those persons who have distinguished..." Place: Northborough, Massachusetts Image: 173

David Ziants notes this historic source also gives the possibility of year of birth 1684, which corresponds with Amsterdam Dutch records.

From https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-90100-460474384/encyclop... :- MONIS, JUDAH: Instructor in Hebrew at Harvard University (1722-59) ; b. Algiers, 1683: d. Northborough, Mass., 1764. The first recorded incident in his life in America is that of his baptism in Cambridge, in 1722, whereupon he was appointed instructor at Harvard. In 1735 he published in Boston the first Hebrew grammar printed in America. Despite his baptism he was a strict Sabbatarian.

Source:

Compilation of Published Sources MyHeritage.com [online database]. Lehi, UT, USA: MyHeritage (USA) Inc. https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-90100/compilation-of...

Record: https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-90100-460474384/encyclop... Unknown Country: USA; State: New York

Citation: Encyclopedia of Jewish Knowledge, 1944 Text: "... mornings. According to Jewish folklore, Moses broke the first Tables of the Law on Thursday, Tammuz 17, and the first Day of Atonement * was observed on a Monday. MONIS, JUDAH: Instructor in Hebrew..." Date: 1944-00-00 Publication place: New York, USA

He was buried in a church yard: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11940136

and obviously he had nothing to do with the Jewish community (which did not really exist at that time in Massachusetts) and on the grave stone is written (from a xtrian perspective):- <<< Here lies buried the remains of RABBI JUDAH MONIS, MA, late HEBREW instructor at HARVARD College in Cambridge in which office he continued 40 years. He was by Birth and Religion a Jew but embraced the Christian faith and was publicly baptized at Cambridge, AD 1722 and departed this life April 25, 1764 Aged 81 years 2 months and 21 days.

This Judah is reported to have apostatized, in order that he can receive his position at Stamford University of that period. One of the newspaper obituaries says that he did his baptism publicly. Obviously the members of the Jewish community were angry concerning this (as reported in one of the obituaries), because many Jews around the world were, due to the inquisition, giving up their lives and being martyred in order not to renounce their faith. It is not understood why they gave him title "rabbi" if he was involved in the church (even if he was originally ordained as a Rabbi before he renounced his Jewish beliefs), but it was probably a similar scenario as used today as a missionary tactic.

It is documented in the book New Israel/New England - Jews and Puritans in Early America by Michael Hoberman, that he married Abigail in the USA in 1924.

Concerning his childhood and youth history and the source of his family name, the author of that book does not mention the possibility that there were many Jews who escaped Portugal in the 17th century, to Italy (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Jews#Sephardi_Jews_in_Italy). In that light, he and possibly his parents, when arriving, might have preferred the already existing ancient Italian community there (although most Jews stayed in their own community) and adopted their Hebrew pronunciation, in preference to the family's previous Sephardi community's Hebrew pronunciation. Another possibility is that whilst he was still a practicing Jew and a member of the Sephardi community in the Netherlands, he started to "rebel" against his own tradition by adopting the ancient Italki pronunciation. (Both possibilities are feasible, in a similar way that many Jews today change(d) their Hebrew pronunciation from an Ashkenazi to the Israeli/Sephardi pronunciation.)

It seems that he migrated to the USA a few years after the death of his first wife Anna (Hana) in 1709, whom he married in 1707, after already losing their first baby from her 5th Mar 1708.

It should be noted that there is an inconsistency in dates of birth, as according to USA obituaries he was born Jan-Feb 1683, whereas if his birthday was after his Jewish wedding ceremony (age on banns on 28th Jan 1707 was 22 and on registration was 21), and had not yet reached his 23rd birthday, then he would have been born 1684, i.e 4th Feb 1684 is plausible (and not 1683). See above a reference to a historic book, which gives his year of birth also the possibility of 1764 as on the Dutch records. Sometimes, in every culture, people would "adjust" their age when marrying, to fit better with the preference of the partner.

It should also be noted that in USA, Judah's place of birth is declared as Venice, Italy, whereas Judah on the Dutch records is mentioned Livorno, Italy. It is very possible that in the USA, he gave his place of birth as Venice as the city name was more familiar, and easier for people to relate to.
According to, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_Monis, he was born in Livorno, but that may be based on the Dutch records here. Also his academic profile fits in with someone who might have originated from Livorno: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Livorno#Relati... .

On the other hand, the Livorno wiki article does not give reference to a native Italki community there whereas it seems that the Italki community was prominent in Venice. It could be that he was born in Venice and then the family moved to Livorno, as there seems to be less restrictions for Jews in Livorno. The other way around of being born in Livorno and moving to Venice seems to be less likely. In one of the USA historic documents, it mentions that he studied in Livorno.