December 4 1858 – 27 Kislev 5619
New York
Some 2,500 Christians and Jews gathered in New York City to protest the Vatican police’s seizure of Edgar Mortara, a Jewish six-year-old in Rome. The boy had been secretly baptized as an infant by his nurse, so the Holy See forbade him to be raised by Jews. Jewish communities in Europe and the United States were up in arms, calling for Mortara’s return to his parents. Participants in the New York rally even demanded U.S. intervention. The speakers – including prominent non-Jews – emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the case, taking care not to vilify Roman Catholics in general.