On July 27, 1655, the Jews of New Amsterdam requested permission to build a cemetery. Although they were denied, this proved that the Jews planned on permanently settling in New Amsterdam.One of the first things that every Jewish community builds is a Jewish cemetery because, according to Jewish law, Jews should not be buried in the same cemetery as non-Jews. Therefore, in 1655, less than a year after they arrived in New Amsterdam, the community asked for a cemetery. Unfortunately, Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch colonial officer in charge of the colony, denied their request since they had no dead body yet and, therefore, no need for a cemetery. Ultimately, the first Jewish death to occur in New Amsterdam happened in 1656, and the community members were allowed to use a small plot of land outside of the city walls as a cemetery for the single Jewish grave. The location of this cemetery is currently unknown. Over the next 200 years, due to the rising needs of the community, three more cemeteries were created and still exist in New York today. Congregation Shearith Israel, a Jewish religious institution founded in 1654 by the first 23 Jews to arrive in America, is currently in charge of these cemeteries. The oldest of the three, Chatham Square Cemetery is the only 17th century structure remaining in New York. These Jewish refugees came from the Dutch colony of Brazil; they left when Portugal took control of the colony, as they feared the Inquisition would spread to Brazil.At first, Stuyvesant did not allow the Jews to enter, so they petitioned the Dutch West India Company, an organization set up by the Dutch crown to oversee its colonies in the western hemisphere and were ultimately allowed to settle in New Amsterdam. This began the Jewish settlement in New York, and it has grown to this day; today, New York currently has the largest population of Jews in the U.S.