Naphtali Phillips

One of the twenty-one children born to Jonasand Rebecca Machado Phillips—a broodthat included Rachel, Manuel,Aaron and Zalegman—Naphtaliwas born in New York. As an infant, with the Revolution looming onthe horizon, he was brought to Philadelphia. Here he would remainthroughout his youth.

In1797 he married Rachel Mendes Seixas ofNewport, daughter of Moses Seixas and niece of GershomMendes Seixas. The couple initially made Philadelphia theirhome.

Throughouthis life, Phillips would remain deeply engaged with Jewish communallife. At twenty-six he was elected parnas of Mikveh Israel,the Philadelphia synagogue that his father had helped found. He wasthe first American-born man to hold that post and authored thecongregation’s constitution. When he moved to New York in 1801, hisbrother Zalegman would be elected to thepost.

InNew York Phillips established himself in the newspaper business,opening and editing the National Advocate, a Democraticjournal. Meanwhile, he closely associated himself with congregationShearith Israel, where too he would eventually serve as parnas.

Inthe early 1820s Phillips suffered several losses. The first, and moretragic, was the 1822 death of his wife with whom he’d had elevenchildren. Following quickly on the heels of that tragedy, he lost hisnewspaper in 1824.

Heremarried to Rachel’s cousin, Esther B. Seixas, with whom he wouldhave three more children. Meanwhile, Phillips, who was closelyconnected to Tammany politics, decided to pursue a new career. Hesecured an appointment at the New York Customs Office, where heserved until his retirement in 1853. At the time of his death at theage of ninety-eight, it was said that he’d had the longestcontinual service of any Tammeny sachem.

Naphtali Phillips

1792