Benjamin N. Cardozo

Benjamin N. Cardozo c. 1932, Harris & Ewing, Inc.

Birth Name: Benjamin Nathan Cardozo

Date of Birth: May 24, 1870

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Death: July 9, 1938

Place of Death: Port Chester, New York, U.S.

Ethnicity: Sephardi Jewish, smaller amount of Ashkenazi Jewish

Benjamin N. Cardozo was an American lawyer and jurist. He was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, from March 14, 1932 to July 9, 1938, his death. He was also Justice of the Supreme Court of New York for the First Judicial Division, from January 5, 1914 to January 15, 1917, and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, from January 1, 1927 to March 7, 1932.

Justice Cardozo was the son of Rebecca Washington (Nathan) and Albert Jacob Cardozo. His family was Jewish, both Sephardi, from England, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, and a smaller amount of Ashkenazi, from Germany.

Justice Cardozo was a first cousin of poet Emma Lazarus. Their mothers were sisters. He was also a second cousin, five times removed, of actor Daniel Flaherty, through his maternal great-grandparents Benjamin Mendes Seixas and Zipporah Levy; a third cousin of abolitionist Robert Purvis, a third cousin, three times removed, of professional tennis player Vic Seixas, and a third cousin, four times removed, of politician Jay Nixon, through their shared ancestors, Isaac Mendes Seixas and Rachel Franks Levy; and a distant cousin of actress and model Riley Keough, through Riley’s great-great-grandmother Bernita Greenwold.

Justice Cardozo could be considered the first Hispanic Justice on the United States Supreme Court, preceding Sonia Sotomayor, because of his mostly Sephardi ancestry.

Justice Cardozo’s paternal grandfather was Michael Hart Cardozo (the son of Isaac Nunez Cardozo and Sarah Hart). Michael was born in Pennsylvania. Isaac was born in London, England, the son of Aaron Nunez Cardozo and Sarah Nunez Navaro. Justice Cardozo’s great-grandmother Sarah Hart was the daughter of Myer Hart de Shira/Texeira and Rachel de Lyon.

Justice Cardozo’s paternal grandmother was named Ellen Hart (the daughter of Abraham Hart). Ellen was born in Black River, St Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, and was a first cousin of Justice Cardozo’s paternal grandfather. Abraham was born in Virginia, the son of Myer Hart de Shira/Texeira and Rachel de Lyon.

Justice Cardozo’s maternal grandfather was Isaac Mendes Seixas Nathan (the son of Simon Nathan and Grace Mendes Seixas). Isaac was born in New York. Simon was born in Frome, Somerset, England, the son of Judah Nathan. Grace was born in Connecticut, the daughter of Isaac Mendes Seixas, who was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and of Rachel Franks Levy, who was born in London, England.

Justice Cardozo’s maternal grandmother was Sarah Mendes Seixas (the daughter of Benjamin Mendes Seixas and Zipporah Levy). Sarah was born in New York, and was a first cousin of Justice Cardozo’s maternal grandfather. Benjamin was born in Rhode Island, the son of Isaac Mendes Seixas and Rachel Franks Levy. Zipporah was born in New York, the daughter of Hayman Levy, who was born in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, and of Sloe Myers.

Source: Genealogy of Benjamin N. Cardozo – https://www.geni.com