▁developed ▁near ▁Jerusalem ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Cons ul ▁Ward er ▁C ress on , ▁a ▁convert ▁to ▁J uda ism . ▁C ress on ▁was ▁tried ▁and ▁condem ned ▁for ▁lun acy ▁in ▁a ▁suit ▁file d ▁by ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁son . ▁They ▁assert ed ▁that ▁only ▁a ▁lun atic ▁would ▁convert ▁to ▁J uda ism ▁from ▁Christian ity . ▁After ▁a ▁second ▁trial , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁central ity ▁of ▁American ▁' fre edom ▁of ▁faith ' ▁issues ▁and ▁ant is emit ism , ▁C ress on ▁won ▁the ▁bitter ly ▁cont ested ▁suit . ▁He ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Ott oman ▁Palest ine ▁and ▁established ▁an ▁agricult ural ▁col ony ▁in ▁the ▁Valley ▁of ▁Re pha im ▁of ▁Jerusalem . ▁He ▁hoped ▁to ▁" prevent ▁any ▁attempts ▁being ▁made ▁to ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁necess ities ▁of ▁our ▁poor ▁bre th ren   ... ▁( that ▁would )   ... ▁FOR CE ▁them ▁into ▁a ▁pret ended ▁conversion ." ▁ ▁Mor al ▁but ▁not ▁practical ▁efforts ▁were ▁made ▁in ▁Prag ue ▁to ▁organ ize ▁a ▁Jewish ▁em igration , ▁by ▁Abraham ▁Ben isch ▁and ▁Mor itz ▁Stein sch ne ider ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 5 . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Mor de ca i ▁No ah ▁attempted ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁Jewish ▁refuge ▁opposite ▁Buff alo , ▁New ▁York ▁on ▁Grand ▁Is le , ▁ 1 8 2 5 . ▁These ▁early ▁Jewish ▁nation ▁building ▁efforts ▁of ▁C ress on , ▁Ben