AMERICA AND THE JEWS

Why America's Founders Embraced the Jews and
Why the Rise of Antisemitism in Modern America.

The Jewish people have experienced a long history of persecution, often at the hands of those who called themselves "Christian." For example, the Crusaders of the Middle Ages, on their way to liberate Palestine from the Muslims, murdered thousands of Jews along the way. Roman Catholic Spain brutally massacred thousands of Jews in 1391 and 100 years later, in 1492,  Spain’s rulers expelled all Jews from  their country. In the 16th century, Martin Luther advocated expelling all Jews from Germany, along with Baptists and Catholics. 

America's Founders determined that Jews would be treated differently in America. Their thinking was primarily shaped, not by Lutheranism, or Anglicanism, or Catholicism, but by those known as "dissenting Protestants." The dissenting Protestant--Baptist, Quaker, Separatist Puritan, Presbyterian--rejected the use of force in matters of faith, which continued to be a part of  Lutheranism, Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism. 

The "dissenting Protestant" insisted that the state should have no role in matters of faith and they took the Bible as their guide in all matters of faith, morals and civil government. When America's Founders read the Bible they saw that the Jews had a God-given role in bringing forth Jesus the Messiah into the world. They also saw that it was the Jews who had given the world the Bible, the book they esteemed above all others. This is why John Adams said,

The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 91).

George Washington Visits a Jewish Synagogue

In 1790, just nine years after leading the ragtag American forces to victory over the mighty British war machine, George Washington visited the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island where he was warmly received by this Hebrew congregation. Moses Seixas, in his official welcome, compared Washington’s military success to that of David and his wisdom to that of Daniel, saying,

With pleasure we reflect on those days when the God of Israel, who delivered David from the peril of the sword, shielded your head in the day of battle: and we rejoice to think, that the same Spirit who rested in the Bosom of the greatly beloved Daniel enabling him to preside over the Provinces of the Babylonish Empire. rests and ever will rest upon you, enabling you to discharge the arduous duties of Chief Magistrate in these States (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 93).

Washington was obviously moved by these sentiments and responded that same day in a letter to this congregation whom he addressed as “children of the stock of Abraham.” He assured them that in America they would experience the fulfillment of the Messianic promise of Micah 4:4, which declared, Each one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig-tree and there shall be none to make him afraid. Washington went on to say,

For happily the Government of the United States 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 (Hyatt, The Book that Made America Great, 94).

Indeed, early America’s embrace of the Jewish people resulted in America becoming a haven for persecuted Jews from all over the world. This resulted in America becoming home for the largest Jewish population in the world. This remained true until 2003 when the Jewish population in Israel surpassed that in America.

The Cause of Antisemitism in Modern America

So, antisemitism was virtually unknown in America for the first 200 years of her existence. Why then is antisemitism on the rise in America today? I suggest that the rise of antisemitism in America has corresponded with two developments: (1) the loss of biblical literacy in the nation, including among Christians, and (2) Marxist ideology pervading our educational system.

In my latest publication, The Book that Made America Great, I have documented how the Bible was the most cherished and the most quoted book in colonial America. In fact, a ten-year study to determine where the Founders derived their ideas for our founding documents, found that they quoted the Bible far more than any other source.

However, with the secularization of our culture and mass migration from Islamic nations, the Bible is no longer held in the esteem it was at the beginning. We even have members of Congress, like Ilhan Omar, and state officials, like Illinois attorney general Keith Ellis, taking the oath of office with their hand on the Koran. Most likely, Zohran Mamdani will take the oath of office as mayor of NYC with his hand on a copy of the Koran.

This is tragic for it is the Bible that tells the story of the Jewish people and their role in salvation history. Without this knowledge, Jew-hatred will proliferate because of jealousy toward Jewish success. For example, how do we explain a small nation the size of New Jersey and a population the size of one of America’s cities, becoming one of the most powerful nations on earth both militarily and economically. Without biblical knowledge, jealousy and hatred easily arises towards anything Jewish.

Also, Marxist philosophy, which groups all people as either the oppressed or the oppressor, has pervaded the American educational system and identifies Jews as the oppressors and Palestinians as the oppressed. Jews, therefore, are to be resisted and opposed, even with violence if necessary. This thinking drives violent antisemitism across America and in other parts of the world.

The Ultimate Answer

In the 1970s, Andre Crouch wrote and recorded a gospel song that became very popular entitled, "Jesus is the Answer for the World Today." I unashamedly agree with those words, as do more and more Americans, especially of the younger generation.

This means that America must have another Great Awakening that returns the her back to the God of the Bible who is also the God of America’s Founders. America’s Founders knew that the nation could not survive without a vibrant and lively Christian populace, which is why they issued so many calls for days of prayer and fasting. As the late historian and philosopher, Dr. Michael Novak, said,

Far from having a hostility toward religion, the Founders counted on religion [Christianity] for the underlying philosophy of the republic, its supporting ethic, and its reliable source of rejuvenation (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 171).

This article was derived from books by Dr. Eddie Hyatt entitled The Book that Made America Great and 1726: The Year that Defined America, both available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com. In the coming months, Eddie will be emphasizing the “1726 Project” whose purpose is to educate America and call her back to her roots of Faith & Freedom.