On December 16th, 2024, 樱花动漫鈥檚 hosted Dr. Adam Jortner to celebrate the launch of his new book, A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2024). Jortner, an eminent scholar of early American religious history, serves as the Goodwin-Philpott Eminent Professor of Religion in the Department of History at Auburn University.
The event, which took place at the historic building of Congregation Shearith Israel, began with a light dinner reception. Following introductory remarks by Dr. Yisroel Benporat, a program officer and lecturer at the Straus Center, the program featured a conversation between Jortner and Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern. Together, they explored the themes of religious liberty, patriotism, and the enduring impact of early American Jews.
Jortner emphasized that contrary to common misconceptions, America was not founded as a Christian nation. The significant contributions of Jews during the American Revolution demonstrated that religious minorities could thrive in the new republic. 鈥淛ews were instrumental in bringing about religious freedom,鈥 he noted, 鈥渘ot just for themselves, but for all Americans, serving as the test case for whether non-Christian religions would be granted full rights.鈥
Jewish opposition to test oaths, for example, which required public servants to profess Christianity, resulted in their eventual removal as a requirement to run for office. Similarly, to this day, politicians need not swear into office on a Christian bible; they may choose an alternative religious text, or if they prefer, not swear at all. Dr. Halpern invoked the recent example of Senator Adam Schiff, who swore in on a copy of Maimonides鈥 Mishneh Torah, an influential twelfth-century code of Jewish law. Dr. Benporat similarly noted that Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the US Congress, swore in on Thomas Jefferson鈥檚 copy of the Quran. And Straus Scholar Sruli Friedman (YC 鈥26) pointed out that John Quincy Adams swore in on a secular law book! The religious freedom enjoyed by Americans today in large part owes a great deal to the advocacy and efforts of Revolutionary-era Jews.
During the Q&A session, Straus Center Senior Scholar Dr. Tevi Troy, a bestselling presidential historian, asked Jortner which founding father he believed was most friendly to the Jews. While George Washington is often remembered for his famous letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Jortner instead pointed to Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Jortner explained that Rush attended a Jewish wedding and once remarked that 鈥渢he Jews in all the states are Whigs,鈥 recognizing their active support for the Patriot cause.
Over thirty people attended the event, including YU students and faculty, as well as representatives from the Paul E. Singer Foundation. This event was hosted in coordination with the Straus Center鈥檚 Impact Office and cosponsored by YU鈥檚 Shevet Glaubach Center for Career Strategy and Professional Development. The Impact Office aims to further the impact of Straus alumni, current Straus Scholars, and other students involved in politics, policy, and journalism on both of 樱花动漫鈥檚 undergraduate campuses. You can learn more about the Straus Center and the Straus Impact Office here.
