Happy 4th of July, a holiday that is sacred for not just for every American, but every lover of freedom and liberty throughout the world. Created as a home for a diverse populace of different theological beliefs, this nation was formed and created based in the principles found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Our founding fathers believed strongly in the God of the Bible, and were dedicated that this nation would welcome all faiths and denominations. No one religion would supersede another, and the government would not establish a national religion… and neither would they prohibit the practice of any religion by any individual.
In this time of rampant Jew hatred from the extremists on both the political left and the right, it is a good time to remember how Judaism played an integral role in the formation of this nation… and how every American Jew is and needs to be devoted to this great country. As we celebrate the birth of our nation, we need to be aware of how the values of our founding fathers are based on classic Jewish values, and how all Americans, Jewish and non-Jewish can promote living these values today… values that are based on God’s holy text.
When we speak of the very beginning of America, we all think of Christopher Columbus. But what most people don’t know is that all evidence points to Columbus as being a Jew.
On his private documents, Columbus wrote a triangular signature of dots and letters that were found on Jewish gravestones in Spain, that equate to a hidden form of the Kaddish prayer (an important part of Jewish liturgy written in Aramaic). In Columbus’ will he made provisions for one tenth of his income to be an anonymous donation as a dowry for poor girls, a distinctly Jewish custom; and he specifically left an inheritance for a Jew living in Lisbon. Simon Wiesenthal contended that Columbus’ entire journey was motivated by a desire to find a safe home for Jews, and according to a linguistics professor from Georgetown, Columbus’ spoken language was Ladino, the “yiddish” of Spanish Jews. More clearly, on all but one of the 13 letters he wrote to his son Diego, he wrote in hebrew the two hebrew letters that stand for the phrase “b’ezrat HaShem” (ב"ה …”with the help of God”, a practice of observant Jews to put at the top corner of every document). These were private documents so it was safe to show evidence of his Jewishness, and the one letter that did not bear the mark was a letter bound for King Ferdinand. Despite the common myth that Queen Isabella financed Columbus’ expedition, it was in fact funded by two Jewish conversos (Louis de Santangel and Gabriel Sanchez) and another prominent Rabbi, Don Isaac Abrabanel.
Ok…so America was “discovered” by a Jew, backed by Jewish financiers. But what about the formation of the United States as a nation?
Most of the early leaders of our nation were not only conversant in Biblical knowledge, but many of them were knowledgeable and even fluent in written Hebrew. Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were fluent in Hebrew; and three of the original universities of this nation have Hebrew in their seal (Yale, Columbia, and Dartmouth). There is even the argument made by scholars that Alexander Hamilton, who was educated in a Jewish school in the Caribbean, was actually himself Jewish (sorry, Lin Manuel Miranda). Hamilton’s mother had converted to Judaism, she is buried in a Jewish cemetery, and he went to a yeshiva (Jewish religious school), which is where the funds were gathered for him to come to the US in the first place as a young man.
Our framers, most of whom were extremely well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures, based much of our country’s structure around Torah teachings. The three branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial are specifically modeled after the governing structure of ancient Israel: The Monarchy (descended from King David); Cohanim (descendants of Aaron the Priest and brother of Moses); and the Sanhedrin (the Great Assembly composed of the wise Sages of the generations who sat as judges of the law). The values of pursuing justice, cherishing freedom, and so much more are found both in Judaic teachings as well as the documents of our early leaders.
Many people do not realize how important Jewish history actually was to the members of the Continental Congress. Of the five men who wrote the initial draft of the Declaration of Independence, three were additionally selected to create a seal for the United States. On July 4, 1776, the day that independence was declared; John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson were asked to design a seal for the nation. Here, as much as anywhere else, we see the Jewish influence on our country.
Both Franklin and Jefferson wanted the Seal to include imagery of Moses leading the Exodus from Egypt, crossing the Sea, and G-d being present with them in their journey through the wilderness. Preserved in a note from August of 1776 in his own handwriting, Ben Franklin wrote:
“Moses standing on the Shore, and extending his Hand over the Sea, thereby causing the same to overwhelm Pharaoh who is sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his Head and a Sword in his Hand. Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Clouds reaching to Moses, to express that he acts by Command of the Deity.”
Jefferson’s ideal seal included not only this image, but an image of “the children of Israel being led in the wilderness by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night”. The two were combined into the original proposed Seal below:
Although these images were not incorporated into the Seal that was ultimately chosen by Congress in 1782; it is clear how the imagery and teachings of our text directly influenced these architects of our nation.
These are only a few of the examples that demonstrate our Founding Fathers’ knowledge and commitment to Judaism.
While we are not architects of a new nation, each of us is the architect of his or her own life and are the foundation stones of a Kahal (holy community) by being actively involved in Temple Ner Simcha. The example of a no dues/no cost for High Holiday tickets that we began ten years ago is spreading throughout the country as synagogues recognize that in this time of war and anti-Semitism it is more important than ever for every Jew to have a synagogue home. In the same way that America is dedicated to every citizen having liberty; we are dedicated to making sure that every Jew can be part of a spiritual community. In challenging times such as these, when the very existence of Israel is at risk and Jew hating riots are increasing across the nation; it is more important than ever that we gather together as a community.
Like the visionaries committed to the founding of a new nation over 240 years ago based on ethics and values, as a passionate and active member of the Temple Ner Simcha community, you are leading the way for a shift into a more ethical and inclusive model of Jewish involvement in a time of great anti-Semitism nationwide. For those of us who grew up being required to “pay to pray”, this is a powerful shift (although I am not guaranteeing that anyone will ever get a musical like “Hamilton” written about them). Your active participation in this community is not only rewarding for you but allows our Kahal to help Jews nationwide through our providing free online services and classes. Your individual actions truly make a difference!
Along with Cantors David McGarry & Benny Lipson, and our musical team, I am looking forward to sharing the holidays with you this October, when we will once again be back at the Canyon Club & our own Sanctuary. If you have not yet registered, please go to NerSimcha.org/High-Holy-Days-2024 to reserve your tickets. With our commitments as a community to joy and depth; I have no doubt that these will be meaningful services for all of us, and that we will all grow as individuals and as a community. Although there is no required financial cost to be part of our community and services, I am hopeful that you will make a donation to the temple when you register so that we can continue to provide the many services and programs to the Jewish community.
Judaism has never been a religion of proselytizing: we respect all other faiths and have never desired to convince anyone else of what they should believe. America has been an amazing home for Jews for over 500 years, partially because it has always been a nation devoted to respecting everyone’s personal faith tradition. The greatness of the United States lies not in being a “Judeo-Christian” nation, but in being a country devoted to freedom and personal liberty based on the values and teachings found in God’s holy texts.
May we always strive to live by those values; to respect and treasure each other’s spiritual beliefs; and to preserve this bulwark of liberty and freedom that is the miracle of the United States.
Happy 4th of July!
Rabbi Michael Barclay
July 4, 2024
28th of Sivan, 5784
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