Did Mendes Play Tennis with Dragons? Read On To Find Out!
Through our visitor’s thoughtful (and sometimes playful) questions, we are all learning more and more about Mendes, as an individual and as a representative of what life was like for the early Jewish Americans.
1) Did Mendes like sports?
Not that we know of…there’s no mention of sports in his letters.
2) Is there a connection between Mendes Cohen and the McKim Center of Baltimore? (Since the McKim Free School opened around the time of his childhood.)
The McKim Free School was a Quaker institution that was begun in 1821, by which time Mendes was 24 years old and not at all a child. We have no record of him being involved as a donor either.
If you want to learn more about the McKim Community Center or Free School, visit their website: http://www.mckimcenter.org.
3) How old was Mendes when he died?
Mendes Cohen was 84 years old when he died 1879.
4) Did Mendes keep kosher?
We believe that the family observed religious traditions in their home in Baltimore, but we don’t have actual confirmation that they kept kosher (which would have been difficult but not impossible during the early 1800s). There is some debate about whether kosher food provisions were provided during his service at Fort McHenry. Again, this is not something we can confirm, but it is possible since the father of another Jewish member of his militia was a shochet. During his travels, Mendes most likely did not eat kosher as that would have been quite difficult.
5) What were his siblings’ names?
- Joshua (died as a baby at 3 months)
- Jacob (1789-1869)
- Solomon (died as a baby)
- Philip (1793-1852)
- Maria (1794-1821)
- Benjamin (1797-1845)
- David (1800-1847)
- Joshua (1801-1870)
- Edward (died as a baby at 8 months)
6) Did Mendes know any dragons? (asked by Elliot the Dragon)
Sadly, no letters mention dragon encounters (but maybe that letter got lost and we can hope!)
What questions are on your mind?