As America celebrates 250 years of independence, it’s worth remembering that the story of the United States has always included the contributions of American Jews.
As America celebrates 250 years of independence, it’s worth remembering that the story of the United States has always included the contributions of American Jews.
Jews were present before independence, fought in the Revolutionary War, helped finance the patriot cause, served in the Continental Army, and took part in building the institutions of the new republic.
One of the most remarkable figures was Haym Salomon, whose financial support helped sustain the Continental Congress during some of its darkest moments. Jewish patriots served alongside their fellow Americans in the fight for liberty, and Jewish congregations were among the earliest religious communities to embrace the promise of a nation founded on freedom rather than religious establishment.
That promise was affirmed in 1790, when George Washington wrote to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport that the United States “gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance,” declaring that every citizen should “sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree.”
For 250 years, American Jews have helped build, defend, and strengthen this country through military service, business, science, medicine, law, philanthropy, public service, and countless contributions to American life.
America’s 250th anniversary is also a reminder of something extraordinary in Jewish history. After about two thousand years of non-stop expulsions, and persecution across countless countries, Jews have now lived in the United States for two and a half centuries with a degree of freedom, security, and opportunity unmatched by almost any chapter in our history.
No nation is perfect, and America has faced its own struggles and shortcomings. But for generations of Jews, this country has been a golden land, a place where we could worship freely, build thriving communities, raise our families, contribute to society, and succeed without giving up our identity.
For that, we owe America a profound debt of gratitude. Thank you to the generations of Americans who built and defended a nation where millions of Jews found not only refuge, but the freedom to flourish.
May God continue to bless the United States of America, and may it remain a beacon of liberty and opportunity for generations to come.
