America seems to be coming apart. Every issue, from immigration to the economy to the environment to the Supreme Court, generates intense conflict. At times, it feels like we no longer agree on what America is about. Defining a nation’s purpose and keeping a nation together are issues that troubled Abraham Lincoln from the beginning of his career. It is a theme that he returns to numerous times during his years in public life. In this seminar, we’ll explore the answers he offered and the lessons he learned from Biblical wisdom. Our readings will focus on famous speeches by Lincoln alongside contemporary discussions of Jewish continuity.