The daughter of Jochebed Levy and Moses Seixas, Rachel Hannah Seixas would remain in Newport, Rhode Island, where her father was a leading Jewish figure, until her 1797 marriage to Naphtali Phillips.
Moses Seixas had been a founder of the Newport Bank of Rhode Island, and served as cashier there until his death. He is best remembered for having addressed the welcome letter on behalf of the Jewish community during Washington’s visit to Newport in 1790. “Permit the children of the stock of Abraham,” wrote Seixas,
“to approach you with the most cordial affection and esteem for your person and merits — and to join with our fellow citizens in welcoming you to Newport… Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events behold a Government, erected by the Majesty of the People — a Government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance — but generously affording to all Liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship: deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language equal parts of the great governmental Machine.”
Washington’s response, the famed Letter to the Jews of Newport, was addressed to Seixas. The president of the new republic wrote:
“The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens. May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”
After Rachel’s marriage to Naphtali Phillips, the couple moved first to his hometown of Philadelphia and then to New York where Naphtali ran a newspaper. They were blessed with many children, including Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Ella, Israel, Lavinia, Rebecca, Isaac, Josephine, Jochebed, and Jonas.. In 1822, Rachel passed away and Naphtali remarried Rachel’s cousin, Esther B. Seixas.
