Life Across the River

On May 24, 1861, just over a month after the war began, Union forces occupied Alexandria, Virginia. They secured the heights overlooking the Potomac River and established a buffer zone between Confederate Virginia and the capital city. Alexandria quickly became a large personnel and medical center for the United States Army.

Alexandria’s Jewish community numbered between 30 to 40 families at the start of the war but soon grew to more than 300. Jewish-owned shops and homes were located in the city’s most well-traveled area, along King Street between Royal and Washington Streets.