Forefather’s Letter Valued by Jewish Community

“It’s not just a Jewish story, it’s an American history story, and it’s relevant for everybody,” said Meryle Cawley, Director of Touro Synagogue Foundation.

August of 1790, in a letter written to a Jewish congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, President George Washington underscored the values in which the United States was built. Meryle Cawley, Director of Touro Synagogue Foundation.

“When you come and you hear this story and how important we are in the fabric of Newport and Rhode Island and the history of the United States, that this building, Touro Synagogue behind me stands as a symbol of religious freedom for all Americans,” said Meryle. “So what’s really important at this site, and what’s important about Newport as a city, is that all of the houses of worship were originally built as a semi-circle behind the seat of government, which would have been the Old Colony House. And that is because Newport was built with the ideal of the separation of church and state. However, if you look at our building Touro Synagogue, it's sitting high on the hill, it's filled with glass. And you probably could have seen it all the way down to the harbor when the candles were lit at night. This was unheard of throughout the world. Many times, in Spain and Portugal and Europe, synagogues would've been hidden. They would've been placed in alleyways, in buildings, behind buildings, and never as prominent to the city square as this one is.”

Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of Mount Vernon, Alexandria, Virginia.

“Washington becomes president. He wants to understand what the people think about the new government, and he travels to every state in the union,” said Doug. “He goes, and he shows up in town, and he'll get letters from the chamber of commerce, you know, the local masonic lodges, the different groups of, of civic-minded, people and, and the ministers of the different churches in town. And oftentimes they're asking him about their freedom of religion or their liberty to religion or toleration. One of the most extraordinary ones is when he goes to Newport, Rhode Island, and he gets the letter from the Touro Synagogue.”

Moses Seixus, Warden of Touro Synagogue, writes on August 17th in his letter of welcome to the president who visited the following day:

“A government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance – but generously affording to all liberty of conscience, and immunities of citizenship.”

In some states, the rights of minority groups such as Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics and Quakers were restricted. Jews in most places, were denied the rights of full citizenship, such as holding public office. Even in religiously liberal Rhode Island, they were not allowed to vote.

Doug said, “Even in what we consider like the most liberal polies of the colonial period, there were restrictions on religious practice and how it impacted your civil life. And the Jews in Rhode Island had been tolerated to worship for years and years that Rhode Island had finally accepted the constitution. They ratified it very late. So, Washington comes to them late, and he visits, and he gets a letter from the Touro Synagogue, basically saying, we hope that under this new government, we will continue to be tolerated as we have been in the past. And that's when he writes back and says”:

“It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.”

Doug said, “It's a first example of a President of the United States expressing sort of an aspirational value of what it means to be an American under this new system that no longer is toleration spoken of. But people have a right of conscience.”

Washington continues: “Happily, the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.”

Meryle Cawley said, “If you are a good citizen, it is your birthright to have religious freedom in this country. This was absolutely unheard of throughout the world. All other governments up until this time had a mandated state religion. So not only is Washington saying you have the right to pray to your own god as you see fit, but he’s also saying, or you don't have to pray to any god if that is your choice.”

“That's one of the reasons it's so critical,” said Doug Bradburn. “Because here you have the president and it's not just known widely in the Jewish community. It's published in newspapers and spread around the country.”

There were many ongoing arguments over religious liberty, fierce and limiting.  Washington’s letter penned ideal conditions “a policy worth imitation” and granted “liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship to all.”

“I think that we all believe in the freedom of conscience and the right to worship as you please until we meet somebody who worships in a way that we find disgusting or saying things that we consider to be hurtful and dangerous,” said Doug. “And so there always is a line that you're debating, what is acceptable. And what is the government's role in making sure that people’s rights aren't interfered with by the threats of other people? For me, I don’t know where it’s going.  But I don’t also see this as different than the long stretch of American history.  America has always fought over the meaning of these fundamental rights. And how these play out in practical terms.”  

All of this we speak about is still relevant today as it was in Washington’s time.

“I mean, he believed fundamentally that human beings could improve the world that they inherited,” said Doug. “So, I think the Jewish communities to him aren't just part of a rich fabric of this strange new experiment in democracy.”

“May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants — while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.”