Edward Israel (July 1, 1859 – May 27, 1884) was an

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

and

Polar Polar may refer to: Geography * Geographical pole, either of the two points on Earth where its axis of rotation intersects its surface ** Polar climate, the climate common in polar regions ** Polar regions of Earth, locations within the polar circ ...

explorer.

Early years

Israel was born in

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

on July 1, 1859. He was the son of Mannes and Tillie Israel, the first Jews to settle in Kalamazoo. After graduating from the Kalamazoo Public School System, Israel went to the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, where he studied astronomy. Just before his graduation in 1881, one of Israel's professors nominated him to serve as the astronomer on an official US expedition to the

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

. After graduation, Israel briefly returned to Kalamazoo to visit his family.

Polar expedition

Israel left for

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, on April 28, 1881, to join the Lady Franklin Bay Polar Expedition with 23 other men under the leadership of

Adolphus Greely Adolphus Washington Greely (March 27, 1844 – October 20, 1935) was a United States Army officer and polar explorer. He attained the rank of major general and was a recipient of the Medal of Honor. A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, ...

. The Lady Franklin Bay Expedition was commissioned by the US government to collect scientific information about the polar regions. Israel received the assignment of collecting astronomical, magnetic and meteorological data. The ill-fated expedition left Washington on June 9, 1881, reaching

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

later in the month. From there, the crew boarded a special polar-equipped ship and went to

Lady Franklin Bay Lady Franklin Bay is an Arctic waterway in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. The bay is located in Nares Strait, northwest of Judge Daly Promontory and is an inlet into the northeastern shore of Ellesmere Island. Fort Conger—former ...

, to a site far above the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...

. Israel and the rest of the crew spent two years at a camp they called

Fort Conger Fort Conger is a former settlement, military fortification, and scientific research post in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It was established in 1881 as an Arctic exploration camp, notable as the site of the first major northern polar ...

. In 1882, the annual supply ship did not arrive, and by August 1883, the expedition ran out of supplies. They took off trying to find the ship, guided only by Israel's astronomical data. When the expedition reached

Cape Sabine Cape Sabine is a land point on Pim Island, off the eastern shores of the Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, in the Smith Sound, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. History The cape was named after Arctic explorer Sir Edward Sabine (1788–1883 ...

, it was found that their supply ship had hit ice and sunk. The expedition members had to struggle through the winter of 1883 with virtually no supplies. Three weeks before the crew of the expedition was rescued by the US Navy, Israel died. Too weak and ill to bury Israel (or other dead expedition members), the remaining members of the crew returned Israel's body to Kalamazoo on August 11, 1884.

Burial place

Edward Israel was given full honors from the city of Kalamazoo upon the return of his body. His body is buried in the Jewish cemetery next to Mountain Home Cemetery. In 1972, the state of Michigan erected an historical marker commemorating Israel at the site of his grave.

References

*Ashlee, Laura Rose. ''Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers'', Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2005, p. 210.

External links

Edward Israel: ''Arctic Explorer 1859-1884''

Kalamazoo Public Library The Kalamazoo Public Library is an independent district library in Kalamazoo, Michigan, that serves about 120,000 people, has a salaried staff of 90, and spends about $10 million annually. The library consists of the central branch downtown, and ...

, local history * {{DEFAULTSORT:Israel, Edward 1859 births 1884 deaths People from Kalamazoo, Michigan 19th-century American astronomers Explorers of the Arctic Jewish American scientists University of Michigan alumni American polar explorers