West India Company To Stuyvesant About Freedom of Worship

Directors of the Board of the West India Company, Amsterdam, to Peter Stuyvesant, March 13, 1656

from ''The early history of the Jews in New York, 1654-1664. Some new matter on the subject'' by Samuel Oppenheim, //Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society//, No. 18 (1909), p. 21

The consent given to the Jews to go to New Netherland and there to enjoy the same liberty that is granted them in this country was extended with respect to civil and political liberties, without the said Jews becoming thereby entitled to a license to exercise and carry on their religion in synagogues or gatherings. So long, therefore, as no request is presented to you [Stuyvesant] to allow such a free exercise of religion, any consideration relative thereto is too premature, and when later something shall be presented about it you will be doing well to refer the matter to us in order to await thereon the necessary orders.