PersonJewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Annie Ezekiel Jonas

Jewish woman from Exeter, England, historically documented with her husband Benjamin Jonas as the mother of 22 children.

Exeter / Teignmouth, Devon, England

1881 painting of the interior of Exeter Synagogue

John White / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic Domain

Biography

Annie Ezekiel Jonas was born in Exeter into the Ezekiel family, part of the long-established Jewish community of southwest England. She married Benjamin Jonas, a watchmaker connected with Exeter and Teignmouth. Historical Jewish sources describe Annie and her husband Benjamin as parents of a total of 22 children. Several of their children emigrated to the United States and became important figures in early American Jewish communal life. Joseph Jonas became a pioneer of Jewish settlement in Cincinnati, while Abraham Jonas became a lawyer, legislator and friend of Abraham Lincoln. A historical genealogy chart records Annie's death in Cincinnati on 28 February 1851.

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Records held by Annie Ezekiel Jonas

1881 painting of the bimah and Torah ark inside Exeter Synagogue

JWR Verified

Community / DemographyMost

Most Children Born to a Documented Jewish Woman

Record holder

Annie Ezekiel Jonas

Record value

22 children

Annie Ezekiel Jonas belonged to Exeter's historic Jewish community in southwest England and married Benjamin Jonas, a watchmaker associated with Exeter and Teignmouth. Historical Jewish scholarship repeatedly records Annie and her husband Benjamin as the parents of a total of 22 children. Their family later became prominent in early American Jewish life: sons including Joseph and Abraham Jonas helped establish Jewish communities in the United States. JWR recognizes Annie only under a strict documented-mother standard. Reports of larger Jewish families were reviewed, but none located so far proves that a single identified Jewish woman gave birth to more than 22 children with comparable documentation.

Country represented: United Kingdom
Achievement location: Exeter, United Kingdom
Achievement date: 1792

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