As America turns 250, Jewish communities celebrate their role in nation's founding

As the United States prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence on July 4, many in the American Jewish community are joining the nationwide festivities while reflecting on the prominent role Jews played in the country's founding.

The milestone comes at a time of heightened political polarization, rising antisemitism and growing anxiety within the community, making this year's celebrations especially meaningful.

Museums, historic synagogues and cultural institutions across the country are using the anniversary to highlight the longstanding contributions of Jewish Americans to the nation's history, from the Revolutionary War to the founding of major civic institutions.

A recent poll shows, among other things, that 77% of Americans across the political and demographic spectrum believe the founding generation would be "disappointed" by what America has become 250 years later.

American Jews, in particular, have expressed concern that elements of the political establishment on both the Left and the Right are increasingly turning against them. Even so, many are embracing the anniversary as an opportunity to celebrate both their American and Jewish heritage.

Among the most prominent commemorations is at New York City's Jewish Museum, where the "Circa 1776" exhibit explores Jewish life during the era of British colonial rule along the eastern seaboard and the early years of the American republic.

The exhibition features portraits of notable Jewish Americans from the period alongside artifacts and documents, including a series of letters exchanged between America's first president, George Washington, and Moses Seixas, president of what is now the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island—the oldest synagogue in the United States.

In one of these letters, Washington says "May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants" adding a quotation which appears multiple times in the Old Testament, to wit; "while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid."

Philadelphia's Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is also marking the anniversary with exhibits highlighting Jewish contributions to American life.

Its "Only in America" Gallery tells the stories of Jewish Americans who left their mark in fields including law, government, sports and the arts.

Meanwhile, Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia—the oldest continuously active synagogue in the United States, founded by immigrants from Spain and Portugal in 1740—is planning a series of communal events throughout July to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary.

One of the congregation's most prominent historical figures, Gershom Mendes Seixas, was the first American-born Jewish religious leader in the United States and later served as one of the original trustees of Columbia College.

Members of his extended family also played important roles in establishing the New York Stock Exchange and several other major institutions in New York City.

Another prominent figure closely associated with the congregation is Haym Salomon, the Jewish financier who donated his personal fortune to support the American Revolution while helping raise additional funds for the Continental Army.

He also participated in the activities of the Sons of Liberty and was arrested by the British more than once before dying in Philadelphia in 1785, bankrupt because the government never repaid the debts it owed him.

Nevertheless, historians have widely praised Salomon for helping finance the Continental Army, enabling George Washington to fight and win the decisive Battle of Yorktown and several other campaigns.

His legacy, along with those of many other early Jewish Americans, is being highlighted through these exhibits as organizers encourage younger generations to recognize the community's enduring role in shaping the United States and to continue contributing to the country's future.