While their affluence was unusual, the Brandons’ story mirrors that of the largely forgotten population of mixed African and Jewish ancestry that constituted as much as 10 percent of the Jewish communities in which they lived. Using family heirlooms and other artifacts, Moses methodically documented how her ancestors were able to transform themselves to become free, wealthy and socially prominent. Although Moses firmly believed her maternal ancestors were Sephardic grandees, she learned that her grandmother and great-uncle, Sarah and Isaac Brandon, were the children of a multiracial woman owned by another Jewish family in Barbados. “Once We Were Slaves” recounts the exhaustive efforts of Blanche Moses, who lived from 1859 to 1946, to trace the history of her prominent New York City Jewish family. 12.Īuthor and educator Laura Arnold Leibman will discuss her book, “Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family.” A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation, which is co-sponsored by the Seaside Jewish Community in Rehoboth Beach. A woman’s surprising discoveries as she researched her family’s history will be the subject of a History Book Festival presentation set for 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |