▁and ▁B ri ar wood . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁B uk har ian ▁Jews ▁res ided ▁in ▁Queens . ▁Queens ▁is ▁also ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁Georg ian - American ▁community ▁of ▁about ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 , ▁around ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁whom ▁are ▁Georg ian ▁Jews . ▁Queens ▁has ▁the ▁third ▁largest ▁population ▁of ▁Georg ian ▁Jews ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁after ▁Israel ▁and ▁Georgia . ▁Forest ▁Hills ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁Cong reg ation ▁of ▁Georg ian ▁Jews , ▁the ▁only ▁Georg ian - J ew ish ▁syn agog ue ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ 1 6 5 4 – 1 8 8 1 ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁Jewish ▁sett ler ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁was ▁Jacob ▁B ars im son , ▁who ▁arrived ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 6 5 4 ▁on ▁a ▁pass port ▁from ▁the ▁Dutch ▁West ▁India ▁Company . ▁A ▁month ▁later , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Jews ▁came ▁to ▁New ▁York , ▁then ▁the ▁col ony ▁New ▁Amsterdam , ▁as ▁refuge es ▁from ▁Rec ife , ▁Brazil . ▁Portugal ▁had ▁just ▁re - con quer ed ▁Dutch ▁Brazil ▁( ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁of ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁State ▁of ▁P ern amb u co ▁) ▁from ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁and ▁the ▁Se ph ardi ▁Jews ▁there ▁prompt ly ▁fled . ▁Most ▁went ▁to ▁Amsterdam , ▁but ▁ 2 3 ▁head ed ▁for ▁New ▁Amsterdam ▁instead . ▁Governor ▁Peter