"To Bigotry No Sanction, to Persecution No Assistance"

^{Category: Religious Liberty}

After President George Washington visited Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island--the first Jewish congregation in the United States--the warden, Moses Seixas, wrote Washington a letter extending his best wishes and stating his hope that Jewish immigrants would be able to fully participate in a new, religiously tolerant nation. Given Europe's history of antisemitism, which included mass expulsions and executions--and the existence of antisemitic policies in colonial North America--these were fairly bold hopes for a Jewish man to have in 1790. Washington's response echoed those hopes:

It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For 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.

Today, the United States has the largest Jewish population on Earth--exceeding even that of Israel--and in a 2005 survey, 77% of Americans polled expressed a favorable opinion of Jews. While antisemitism remains a serious problem, and it would be glib to say that Seixas' dream has been realized, it is hard to imagine that even he could have imagined that Jewish immigrants would come to play such a vital long-term role in the American story.

See also:

• Chronology of American Religious History, 1600-2004
• A Snapshot of American Jewry Today
• George Washington's Thoughts on Religion