While New York City became home for most of the Jewish immigrants

who crossed the Atlantic, others journeyed farther, seeking freedom

and fortune. The city of Syracuse, easily reached by the Erie Canal,

became the next port of call for some. It offered opportunities, open roads,

and a small but ever-growing Jewish community. This history traces the

development of the Jewish community of the Salt City from its beginnings

in the early 18th century, when a handful of peddlers gathered weekly

to share a Shabbat meal, to a much larger community that numbered

11,000-12,000 at its peak a century later. The Syracuse Jewish community

is a microcosm of the history of Jews in America and is both distinctive and

iconic in nature.