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JWR VerifiedJWR-2026-000175

First Jewish Senator in the United States Senate

Record holder

David Levy YuleePerson

Record value

1 July 1845

Country represented: United StatesAchievement location: Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United StatesAchievement date: 1 July 1845Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Portrait of U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee.

David Levy Yulee, U.S. Senator from Florida.Brady-Handy Collection / Library of CongressWikimedia CommonsPublic domain

Official record definition

The earliest person identified by the United States Senate as Jewish to begin a term of service as a U.S. Senator.

Measurement methodology

Official Senate chronology of all senators combined with the Senate's explicit historical identification of Yulee as the first Jewish senator.

Record story

David Levy Yulee achieved the record for "First Jewish Senator in the United States Senate" on "1 July 1845" in Washington, D.C., when his first term of service began. This achievement is based on official United States Senate records, which not only place Yulee's oath and credentials presentation in the 1845 session but also explicitly identify him as the first Jewish senator. The measurement method for the record combines the official Senate chronology with the Senate's own historical identification of Yulee as the first person of Jewish background to serve in the chamber.

Further documentation from the American Jewish Archives corroborates Yulee's eligibility, noting his birth into a Sephardic Jewish family. The Archives also independently document his 1845 election as being the first time an individual of Jewish ancestry was elected to the U.S. Senate. Yulee, a public official representing Florida, went on to serve in the Senate from 1845 to 1851 and again from 1855 to 1861.

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
26 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

Official Senate records place Yulee's first term beginning 1 July 1845 and his oath/credentials presentation in the 1845 session.

Superiority evidence

The U.S. Senate explicitly labels Yulee the first Jewish senator; the American Jewish Archives independently documents his Sephardic Jewish family background and the historical FIRST.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • The First Jewish Senator: David Levy Yulee — American Jewish Archives

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • YULEE, David Levy — U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
  • Hon. David Levy Yulee of Florida — Library of Congress

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Senate Chronology — United States Senate

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • Senate Chronology

    Official recordUnited States Senate

    What this proves: States that David Levy Yulee became the first Jewish senator to serve in the U.S. Senate on 1 July 1845.

  • YULEE, David Levy

    Official recordU.S. House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives

    What this proves: Confirms Yulee's birth, Senate term beginning 1 July 1845, service history and death.

  • The First Jewish Senator: David Levy Yulee

    Independent publicationAmerican Jewish Archives

    What this proves: Documents Yulee's birth to a Sephardic Jewish family and his status as the first individual of Jewish ancestry elected to the U.S. Senate.

  • Hon. David Levy Yulee of Florida

    Reference databaseLibrary of Congress

    What this proves: Provides the Brady-Handy portrait; the Library of Congress states the collection is public domain and free to use/reuse.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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