The Untold Story of Jewish Patriots in the American Revolution

FILMMAKER BACKGROUND 

Jewish Patriots: The American Revolution and the Birth of Religious Freedom is a powerful and timely documentary that reveals the largely untold story of the vital role Jewish Americans played in the founding of the United States. Produced and directed by Erin Zimmerman for CBN Films, the film explores how a tiny Jewish population — less than one-tenth of one percent of the colonial population — made outsized contributions to the Patriot cause, both on the battlefield and behind the scenes, while helping secure the principle of religious liberty that became a cornerstone of American democracy.

Through expert interviews, dramatic reenactments, historical documents, and on-location filming at historic sites including Mikveh Israel synagogue in Philadelphia, the documentary brings to life the courage, sacrifice, and vision of early Jewish Americans who helped birth the nation.

CORE STORY 

At a time when Jews faced legal restrictions, could not hold public office in most colonies, and were often viewed with suspicion, they enthusiastically embraced the American cause. They pledged “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” alongside their Christian neighbors. The film highlights extraordinary individuals whose stories have been largely forgotten:

•    Haym Salomon, the Polish-Jewish immigrant known as America’s “Funding Father.” A brilliant financier and broker, he raised more than $650,000 (over $15 million today) for the Continental Army. When George Washington needed critical funds to march to Yorktown, he famously said, “Send for Haym Salomon.” Salomon repeatedly lent his own money without interest and helped keep the army from mutiny in the final days of the war.

•    Mordecai Sheftall, the highest-ranking Jewish officer in the Continental Army. As Deputy Commissary General for Georgia, he used his personal fortune to supply troops. Captured by the British, he and his son endured brutal imprisonment on a prison ship, refusing to violate kosher laws even under torture. His story of resilience and faith is one of the most moving in the film.

•    Solomon Bush, the “accidental spy.” Wounded and left for dead, Bush recovered under house arrest across from British headquarters in Philadelphia. From his window, he gathered intelligence on British movements and spies, passing critical information to George Washington.

•    Gershom Seixas, the “Rabbi of the Revolution.” He closed his New York synagogue rather than pray for the British king, evacuated the Torah scrolls, and led his congregation to Philadelphia. After the war, he became a leading voice for full religious equality and the removal of religious test oaths.

THE FIGHT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 

The film powerfully recounts the 1790 exchange in Newport, Rhode Island, between President George Washington and Moses Seixas of Touro Synagogue. Seixas’s letter asked whether Jews would be more than merely tolerated. Washington’s historic reply — “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance” — and his promise that Jews would “sit in safety under [their] own vine and fig tree” became one of the most important statements on religious liberty in American history. This exchange helped shape the First Amendment and the ideal of true religious freedom.

JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN PARTNERSHIP 

Jewish Patriots highlights how Jewish and Christian communities worked hand-in-hand during the Revolution. Synagogues joined churches in days of fasting and prayer. Jewish merchants supplied the army, Jewish financiers kept it funded, and Jewish soldiers fought in integrated units. Congregations like Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia became centers of Patriot activity and modeled voluntary religious association — a radical new concept at the time.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR TODAY 

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, this documentary reminds us that the nation’s founding ideals — liberty, equality, and freedom of conscience — were forged through the cooperation of diverse faith communities. The film counters historical erasure and shows how the Jewish contribution to American independence helped establish the Judeo-Christian principles that continue to define the country.

The stories of these Jewish Patriots — their bravery in battle, integrity in finance, and moral clarity in advocating for equal rights — offer powerful lessons for our own time. They remind us that true liberty requires courage, sacrifice, and the constant defense of religious freedom for all.

For more information on Jewish Patriots: The American Revolution and the Birth of Religious Freedom, click the LINK! 

CREDITS

Selected credits include Emmy-nominated documentaries Made in Israel, The Hope, and To Life, plus the Oracles of God series and In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem.