Remembering George Washington’s Letter To The Hebrew Congregation Of Newport As Jews Find Themselves Surrounded By Those Who Want To Make Them Afraid

For a Jewish immigrant to the United States, George Washington’s 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport stands as a document of stunning historical significance. While Jews were widely persecuted across Christian Europe and some parts of the Islamic world, Washington’s promise of religious freedom exemplified one of the founding principles which set the United States apart from all other nations on earth.

Here is Washington’s letter in full: