Yesterday I took a walking tour of Old Town Alexandria organized by the Jewish Historical Society of Washington. Since I have lived in Alexandria for 27 years and know a lot of Jewish families and belonged to the Conservative shul, it was fascinating to learn the early history. When I have time, I'm going to create a couple of projects around towns such as Charleston, Richmond, Alexandria to gather the trees of the early families and provide some sources, so descendants can expand upon my work. Like many towns, the first Jews to settle in Alexandria were from Germany in the late 1700s, with Jews from Eastern Europe arriving late in the 1800s.
