"Under His Own Vine and Fig Tree": Washington Welcomes Jews

“Under His Own Vine and Fig Tree”: Washington Welcomes Jews

George Washington’s letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport is a short but profound statement about both the nature of America as well as the role the Jewish community can and should play in it. In this seminar, we will examine the themes Washington touches upon in the letter, including the nature of liberty, the threat of bigotry, loyalty, and mutual prosperity. As we will see, Washington’s vision of a flourishing America was inspired by the Hebrew Bible, a fountain of wisdom for all Americans, from the country’s inception to today.

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Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern

Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern is senior advisor to the provost and senior program officer of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University. He has edited or co-edited 17 books, including most recently, Esther in America, Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land: The Hebrew Bible in the United States, and Gleanings: Reflections on Ruth. He has taught at Yeshiva University, synagogues, Hillels, and adult educational settings across the US, Europe, and Israel, and his writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Tablet magazine, and the Jewish Review of Books.

“Under His Own Vine and Fig Tree”: Washington Welcomes Jews

Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern

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