EVEN IN CHARACTER, HE TRIES TO BE SUCH A CHARACTER

By : Sara Isadora Mancuso, Staff Writer

Patriot or loyalist? With fireworks to celebrate Independence Day just an evening away, Moses Isaacson, a Jewish apothecary from the 1700s, is wandering Olde City putting Philly tourists to a patriotic test.

He's also spreading a piece of colonial gossip.

Lately, Isaacson has been confiding that "right now, there's a lot of buzz around Philadelphia about the colonies declaring independence."

The Fourth of July is a big day for Peter Salzer, aka Moses Isaacson, and the other professional actors that star as colonial men and women for Historic Philadelphia, Inc., set up in 1994 to promote the city's historic district.

During long, hot summer days, Salzer, spends many mornings living in 1776 - the year that the Declaration of Independence changed everything for the 13 colonies. Once the afternoon rolls in, though, the band of colonials steps into life in 1789, a time when the U.S. Constitution was already in place.

Fielding questions and telling tourists the made-up Isaacson story, Salzer spins a yarn that has the apothecary supplying midwives with drugs, pulling teeth and bleeding people.

"I've learned how little people know about American history. And Jews that I talk to don't realize the impact Jews had in Philadelphia at the time."

When students from Jewish day schools meet up with Isaacson, he said that they always ask, " 'How religious are you?' "

For the record, the apothecary does not keep kosher - there's no kosher butcher to be found. And yes, he does keep Shabbat.

"In a Jewish role like this one, I don't have to dig that deep to understand prejudice and being a minority," said Salzer, who attends Temple Brith Achim in King of Prussia.

Salzer, a comedian and a George Burns impersonator, auditioned for Historic Philadelphia in 2001, and has worked as a full-time actor for several years.

He realizes that even on duty, he can't always be stuck in the 1700s.

"We have to go out of character when people ask questions like 'Where's the ATM?' We're not going to say 'Get lost, and go find someone who isn't a colonial!' "

You may contact Sara Isadora Mancuso via Email: smancuso@jewishexponent.com