Abraham Isaac Abrahams

Abraham Isaac Abrahams was religious official and merchant of Lithuanian descent, who was known throughout the American Colonies as a mohel and Hebrew teacher. He spent most of his life in New York City where in 1753 he served as a constable. From 1761 he was directed by the Congregation Shearith Israel to “keep a publick school in the ḥebra to teach the Hebrew language, and translate the same into English, also to teach English Reading, Writing and Cyphering.” Besides his religious duties, Abraham was a distiller, snuff maker, tobacconist, and merchant.