America at 250: Why Washington’s promise to US Jews still matters - opinion

As America celebrates its 250th year, it is essential to recall a foundational promise that has long distinguished the nation: the assurance of equal citizenship for all. In 1790, President George Washington wrote to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, stating that the U.S. Government "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." This was not mere diplomatic courtesy; it was a revolutionary declaration for a community historically accustomed to living "only on sufferance."

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The Government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.

Washington's words offered a radical departure, securing equal citizenship by law rather than relying on the whims of rulers. This principle meant that Americans of all faiths would be integral members of the republic, able to "sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid." For over two centuries, American Jews have honored this promise through dedicated service, fighting in every major conflict from the Revolution to modern wars, contributing to the unbroken story of American liberty.

While America has not always perfectly upheld its ideals, with antisemitism and discriminatory policies like the National Origins immigration system marking its history, the nation's constitutional principles have repeatedly guided it back toward justice. Instances like General Ulysses S. Grant's misguided expulsion order during the Civil War were ultimately revoked by President Abraham Lincoln, who later sought reconciliation and appointed Jewish Americans to high office. This capacity for correction and striving toward better angels is a hallmark of the American experiment.

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Americans of every faith, he declared, would stand not as guests but as equal members of one republic.

Therefore, opposing antisemitism is framed not solely as a matter of protecting Jewish citizens, but as a fundamental defense of the American idea itself. It is about ensuring the nation continues to fulfill Washington's original promise that bigotry will find no sanction within its borders, reinforcing the ongoing commitment to justice and equality.

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Opposing antisemitism is therefore not simply about protecting Jews; it is about defending the American idea itself.