Rebecca Gratz

Rebecca Gratz (* March 4, 1781 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, † August 27, 1869 ibid ) was an American philanthropist.

Gratz was the seventh of twelve children of Mr and Mrs Miriam Simon and Michael Gratz to the world. Her mother was the daughter of Joseph Simon (1712-1804), a prominent Jewish businessman from Lancaster. Her father came from a long line of rabbis from Upper Silesia ( cf. Jewish Cemetery ( Wielowieś ) ), but originally from Grodzisk in Poznan and had by the applicable laws according to which only the Firstborn son of a Jewish family could acquire the rights of citizenship at birth, emigrate. Her parents were devout Jews and active members of the first Jewish congregation in Philadelphia Mikveh Israel.

Graetz was active since her twentieth year as a philanthropist through the help for those who suffer from the consequences of the Revolutionary War families as well as an asylum for orphans. She was secretary of the board of this institution. Under their auspices, a Jewish Sunday school was established in 1838. Gratz was the superintendent and president until her retirement in 1864., You participated in the development of curricula with. Gratz was also a founding member of an auxiliary Association for Jewish women in November 1819.

It is believed that Rebecca Graetz was the model of Rebecca, the daughter of a Jewish merchant Isaac of York, the heroine in the novel Ivanhoe by Walter Scott. Scott's attention to Gratz 's character was inspired by Washington Irving, a close friend of the Gratz family.

Gratz has never married.

Her portrait was twice painted by the renowned American artist Thomas Sully.