N.C. Jews: Taxpayers but not officeholders

“North Carolina was one of the last states in the Union [preventing] Jews from holding public office.

“After [Rabbi Isaac Leeser of Philadelphia] encouraged Wilmington Jews to challenge this prohibition, they took up the cause, circulating a petition and running an ad in the local newspaper calling on the state legislature to repeal it.  In 1858, the Wilmington Journal also called for its repeal, arguing that ‘Jews pay taxes and are liable to perform all civil duties.’  Despite this effort, the ban on Jewish officeholders was not removed until 1868.”

— From “Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities” (Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life)

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