On the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, we owe it to ourselves and our nation to remember our utterly unique history. Remembering who we are is the only fight against antisemitism we need.
AMEN! Overt hateful bigotry towards ANY group is a violation of our universal moral TABOOS. Everyone who believes in the core values of this nation - liberty and equality - must stand up to oppose this hate no matter who it is directed at. We must ostracize this bigotry and anybody who espouses and sanitizes it out of polite society and our mainstream politics, just as we did to marginalize and defeat the KKK. If we don't, the hate will normalize and the anarchy and violence that ensues will not merely hurt Jews - it will destroy America.
I thoroughly enjoyed your new book Batya and learned more than I thought I would. My home had guests from every corner of the world in spite of my WASP live-in grandmother whose close friend was an escaped Russian Jew.
I’m still a bit triggered by the reverse prejudice I received where the love of my college days was forbidden to marry me (dating was ok) because I am not a Jew. Still today my former love tells me he screwed up. A life of excepting our differences wb better.
So absolutely correct, but you sidestep the method of antisemitism deployed today—the State of Israel. And it isn’t a criticism of Israel’s government; it is a foundational rejection of the Jewish connection to the land and anyone that defends that indigenous nexus.
The charge by Mamdani’s ilk is: we love Jews, but reject their support of Israel; so, choose—gain acceptance as Jews in the diaspora by disavowing Israel, or be excommunicated. Ask Scott Weiner how that bargain worked.
Obviously, Israel and the United States will have differences in their national interests, but for the most part, these interests align due to the same set of shared values.
So, considering the antisemitic attack plane of Zionism: How would you recommend we incorporate the importance of supporting American principles with respect to the alliance with Israel?
Rejecting Israel as the Jewish state is part of a system aimed at genocide. The players may, or may not be aware of the role they play. For the system to function as intended, awareness or consent is not necessary. For the next Holocaust to occur Israel must be removed from the equation. That's where 'anti-zZionism' fits in. "The Jews" must be defenselss, just the way they want us.
Your book was a fantastic read. This excerpt is a 4th of July gift, reminding us to see our rights are from God, not politicians we vote in and then do what they want.
More likely than not, Alexander Hamilton was Jewish by matrilineal descent (https://chatgpt.com/s/t_6a482581eee48191b527ceaa67d1d660). But his deep connection to Jews and Judaism—including his education in a Jewish school and his ability to recite the 10 Commandments in their original Hebrew—are indisputable. So I think leaving him out of this otherwise wonderful article was a mistake.
Thanks fer the memories lol (aka the hist'ry lesson!)--an' indeed it makes me proud ta know dat "ve ver dere from schtart"--fundin' General George, "leadin' the vey" as outspoken citizens demandin' equal rights "as joos" (like Levy faced with the vile Peter S.) BUT t'day nobuddy knows this hist'ry.
Even few fellow chews I know would register Solomon (they know from Solomon Brothers, not Haym). Asser Levy, ta me, wuz just the nicest swimmin' pool on the Lower East Side...until velly RECENTLY! If we dunno our OWN hist'ry in America, how can we expect others to know dis stuff so as ta better respect us, treat us like mensches?
On the left, we are simply told we don't belong here (unless we disavow Israel...say whut?!) AN' the lefties now hate the US an' wanna destroy it. There's a town in MA where ya cain't even hang an American flag (I'm serious).
On the right they similarly have NO CLUE that in spite've their insistin' upon it that America ain't a Christian nayshun. It wuz founded by SOME Christians & some purdy secular folks but many t'day dunno squat 'bout separation of church & state which ALLOWED joos ta thrive here (unlike most nations that DO have an official national church). We know "ve jooze" ain't just guests here in THEIR Christian naytion but since nubuddy knows their hist'ry we're guests again. Some have proposed that joos should not get ta vote, head companies or hold directorial positions, some say we need ta "go back whar we came from." I'm talkin' 'bout THE RIGHT now.
It sucks but all us God Bless American jooish flag-wavers whose schtetl ancestors waved even harder (if that's possible!) KNOW that the average Joe dunno whut he dunno--that our people were here from the start, the worked their tuchises off whenever they came (as a whole), an' I laff that even the neo-nazis wear Levis jeans!
So mahvelous postin' t'day an' I larned sumthin' too (some names noo ta me!)--but many Americans even t'day are not nearly as comfortable with da jooze as yer sayin'. Too many DO tolerate the antisemitism that their own (fore)vaters would have decried an' this, too, b/c the only & jooish hist'ry schools teach is the Holocaust! The Holocaust tells 'em we're all "foreigners" that found refuge here post WWII. Mah own ancestors came here in 1870 & 1904 respectively (all left in YourUp perished durin' WWII....) IF ONLY the emphasis was on not just acceptance of ALL peeples as ya say (here's mah quibble) but ALSO & SPECIFICALLY teachin' jooish contributions ta America from the git-go! (By all means include others from all places who contributed too but specific mentionin's are important.) An' they need ta offer name recognition--jus' like they teach 'bout Frederick Douglas ('er I assume they still do... we homeschooled but it's mah guess that name's far better known...as is Sojourner Truth's) cuz nobuddy STILL knows gornischt 'bout Solomon, Levy or the others ya added ta the list. As far as most know, ve came LATE ta dis pahrty.
I vouch we'd be hated a LOT less an' it would help ta de-bunk the sour argue-mint on BOTH sides that we don't belong in THEIR Christian nayshun and/or THEIR "PEAS-FULL" naytion (b/c we're bloody warmongers). If joos were friendly with the foundin' fathers, FOUGHT fer our nation & died fightin' for it-- (& btw nobuddy knows we yankees FOUGHT the Muslims early on either) THEN it'd be harder ta claim we're all johnny-come-latelies who corrupted this / THEIR country (that's from the Right) or that we're baby-killin' genocidal maniacs not representin' support-the-underdawg/victims (yadayada) American values (on the Left)! Of course the left's gonna hate us no mattah whut--b/c Israel...oy but at least they'd have ta give a nod ta US history, no?
ps jus' learned that Haym Solomon died PENNILESS. Tho' some of his help was a "gift," losin' the $650K (a heck've a lot at the time, wurth 'bout $20MILLION today!) did 'im in an' nobuddy thought to thank the jew. He also served the patriots as a "spy" an' the Brits caught 'im an put 'im in prison where he contracted TB. Salomon's ruin was also compounded by his generous lending to private borrowers during an unstable economic climate, as well as the lasting health complications from contracting tuberculosis while imprisoned by the British for espionage. Because he had completely sacrificed his personal fortune for the Patriot cause, he died in poverty and was buried in an unmarked grave at the Mikveh Israel Cemetery.
Years later actress-inventor-nazi-fightin' shmarty pants jewess Hedy Lamarr developed a signal hoppin' system for radar that'd prevent the "enemy" from trackin' US planes... it also was the foundation of our modern-day CELL PHONES! The gubbamint SAVED all her patent papers, used her tech, yet never paid 'er EITHER (sayin' they warn't interested, boy golly THAT wuzza whopper!) even tho' that same invention (w/ George Antheil, a musician friend!) has helped 'em fight wars, save lives. Proud natch'uralized American Hedy sued the heck outta the US Gubbamint... an' WON! If only Haym Solomon could'a done the same...
On the 250th anniversary of the USA, it is important to recognize the enormous achievement of Jewish financier Haym Salomon, who helped fund and save the American Revolution.
Salomon, a largely forgotten hero of the American Revolution, facilitated the sale of most war aid from France and the Dutch Republic by issuing bills of exchange to American merchants. He also provided personal financial support to several members of the Continental Congress during their stay in Philadelphia, including James Madison and James Wilson.
In 1975, the United States Postal Service issued a 10-cent commemorative stamp honoring him as a “Contributor to the Cause” of the American Revolution. The reverse of the stamp reads: "Financial Hero – Businessman and broker Haym Salomon was responsible for raising most of the money needed to finance the American Revolution and later to save the new nation from collapse.”
Similar to the Egyptian Pharaoh who forgot Joseph's contributions to Egypt's prosperity, as recorded in "A new king who did not know of Joseph arose over Egypt" (Exodus 1:8), anti-Semites frequently disregard or deny the substantial contributions of Jewish individuals, such as Haym Solomon, to the development of the United States.
Nevertheless, as with the Egyptian Pharaoh, modern anti-Semites’ hatred is destined to fail.
This is a wonderful read for Independence Day. We need to recommit to our Constitution. The oath I took to enlist in the Army; the oath taken by (supposed) public servants; the pledge to defend the Constitution. We can worry less about all of our "antis" if we are pro the God-given rights that belong to all.
" bigotry would be given no sanction, persecution no assistance."
Washington gets credit for that turn of phrase but in fact he was quoting the letter from Moses Seixas, the shul's shammas (synagogue's sexton), inviting him.
Batya, there is a Jewish Revolutionary War veterans' cemetery in lower Manhattan. It's being allowed to go to seed by the synagogue that owns the property, ironically, Shearith Israel. It needs to be protected as a federally recognized heritage site. I've been making some noise, but not enough.
And I will also add, I finished your book the week it came out and I learned a lot!! Excellent book!!! I have recommended it to people!
Beautiful, Batya!!
AMEN! Overt hateful bigotry towards ANY group is a violation of our universal moral TABOOS. Everyone who believes in the core values of this nation - liberty and equality - must stand up to oppose this hate no matter who it is directed at. We must ostracize this bigotry and anybody who espouses and sanitizes it out of polite society and our mainstream politics, just as we did to marginalize and defeat the KKK. If we don't, the hate will normalize and the anarchy and violence that ensues will not merely hurt Jews - it will destroy America.
I thoroughly enjoyed your new book Batya and learned more than I thought I would. My home had guests from every corner of the world in spite of my WASP live-in grandmother whose close friend was an escaped Russian Jew.
I’m still a bit triggered by the reverse prejudice I received where the love of my college days was forbidden to marry me (dating was ok) because I am not a Jew. Still today my former love tells me he screwed up. A life of excepting our differences wb better.
Amen Erez
Beautifully expressed and so true.
So absolutely correct, but you sidestep the method of antisemitism deployed today—the State of Israel. And it isn’t a criticism of Israel’s government; it is a foundational rejection of the Jewish connection to the land and anyone that defends that indigenous nexus.
The charge by Mamdani’s ilk is: we love Jews, but reject their support of Israel; so, choose—gain acceptance as Jews in the diaspora by disavowing Israel, or be excommunicated. Ask Scott Weiner how that bargain worked.
Obviously, Israel and the United States will have differences in their national interests, but for the most part, these interests align due to the same set of shared values.
So, considering the antisemitic attack plane of Zionism: How would you recommend we incorporate the importance of supporting American principles with respect to the alliance with Israel?
… or maybe I just need to read the book? 😂
Happy 250th! 🇺🇸
Rejecting Israel as the Jewish state is part of a system aimed at genocide. The players may, or may not be aware of the role they play. For the system to function as intended, awareness or consent is not necessary. For the next Holocaust to occur Israel must be removed from the equation. That's where 'anti-zZionism' fits in. "The Jews" must be defenselss, just the way they want us.
Your book was a fantastic read. This excerpt is a 4th of July gift, reminding us to see our rights are from God, not politicians we vote in and then do what they want.
More likely than not, Alexander Hamilton was Jewish by matrilineal descent (https://chatgpt.com/s/t_6a482581eee48191b527ceaa67d1d660). But his deep connection to Jews and Judaism—including his education in a Jewish school and his ability to recite the 10 Commandments in their original Hebrew—are indisputable. So I think leaving him out of this otherwise wonderful article was a mistake.
Pulling for you and "the children of the stock of Abraham".
Thanks fer the memories lol (aka the hist'ry lesson!)--an' indeed it makes me proud ta know dat "ve ver dere from schtart"--fundin' General George, "leadin' the vey" as outspoken citizens demandin' equal rights "as joos" (like Levy faced with the vile Peter S.) BUT t'day nobuddy knows this hist'ry.
Even few fellow chews I know would register Solomon (they know from Solomon Brothers, not Haym). Asser Levy, ta me, wuz just the nicest swimmin' pool on the Lower East Side...until velly RECENTLY! If we dunno our OWN hist'ry in America, how can we expect others to know dis stuff so as ta better respect us, treat us like mensches?
On the left, we are simply told we don't belong here (unless we disavow Israel...say whut?!) AN' the lefties now hate the US an' wanna destroy it. There's a town in MA where ya cain't even hang an American flag (I'm serious).
On the right they similarly have NO CLUE that in spite've their insistin' upon it that America ain't a Christian nayshun. It wuz founded by SOME Christians & some purdy secular folks but many t'day dunno squat 'bout separation of church & state which ALLOWED joos ta thrive here (unlike most nations that DO have an official national church). We know "ve jooze" ain't just guests here in THEIR Christian naytion but since nubuddy knows their hist'ry we're guests again. Some have proposed that joos should not get ta vote, head companies or hold directorial positions, some say we need ta "go back whar we came from." I'm talkin' 'bout THE RIGHT now.
It sucks but all us God Bless American jooish flag-wavers whose schtetl ancestors waved even harder (if that's possible!) KNOW that the average Joe dunno whut he dunno--that our people were here from the start, the worked their tuchises off whenever they came (as a whole), an' I laff that even the neo-nazis wear Levis jeans!
So mahvelous postin' t'day an' I larned sumthin' too (some names noo ta me!)--but many Americans even t'day are not nearly as comfortable with da jooze as yer sayin'. Too many DO tolerate the antisemitism that their own (fore)vaters would have decried an' this, too, b/c the only & jooish hist'ry schools teach is the Holocaust! The Holocaust tells 'em we're all "foreigners" that found refuge here post WWII. Mah own ancestors came here in 1870 & 1904 respectively (all left in YourUp perished durin' WWII....) IF ONLY the emphasis was on not just acceptance of ALL peeples as ya say (here's mah quibble) but ALSO & SPECIFICALLY teachin' jooish contributions ta America from the git-go! (By all means include others from all places who contributed too but specific mentionin's are important.) An' they need ta offer name recognition--jus' like they teach 'bout Frederick Douglas ('er I assume they still do... we homeschooled but it's mah guess that name's far better known...as is Sojourner Truth's) cuz nobuddy STILL knows gornischt 'bout Solomon, Levy or the others ya added ta the list. As far as most know, ve came LATE ta dis pahrty.
I vouch we'd be hated a LOT less an' it would help ta de-bunk the sour argue-mint on BOTH sides that we don't belong in THEIR Christian nayshun and/or THEIR "PEAS-FULL" naytion (b/c we're bloody warmongers). If joos were friendly with the foundin' fathers, FOUGHT fer our nation & died fightin' for it-- (& btw nobuddy knows we yankees FOUGHT the Muslims early on either) THEN it'd be harder ta claim we're all johnny-come-latelies who corrupted this / THEIR country (that's from the Right) or that we're baby-killin' genocidal maniacs not representin' support-the-underdawg/victims (yadayada) American values (on the Left)! Of course the left's gonna hate us no mattah whut--b/c Israel...oy but at least they'd have ta give a nod ta US history, no?
Anywhoo.... Happy 4th!
ps jus' learned that Haym Solomon died PENNILESS. Tho' some of his help was a "gift," losin' the $650K (a heck've a lot at the time, wurth 'bout $20MILLION today!) did 'im in an' nobuddy thought to thank the jew. He also served the patriots as a "spy" an' the Brits caught 'im an put 'im in prison where he contracted TB. Salomon's ruin was also compounded by his generous lending to private borrowers during an unstable economic climate, as well as the lasting health complications from contracting tuberculosis while imprisoned by the British for espionage. Because he had completely sacrificed his personal fortune for the Patriot cause, he died in poverty and was buried in an unmarked grave at the Mikveh Israel Cemetery.
Years later actress-inventor-nazi-fightin' shmarty pants jewess Hedy Lamarr developed a signal hoppin' system for radar that'd prevent the "enemy" from trackin' US planes... it also was the foundation of our modern-day CELL PHONES! The gubbamint SAVED all her patent papers, used her tech, yet never paid 'er EITHER (sayin' they warn't interested, boy golly THAT wuzza whopper!) even tho' that same invention (w/ George Antheil, a musician friend!) has helped 'em fight wars, save lives. Proud natch'uralized American Hedy sued the heck outta the US Gubbamint... an' WON! If only Haym Solomon could'a done the same...
https://substack.com/@thinktorah/note/c-285688406
On the 250th anniversary of the USA, it is important to recognize the enormous achievement of Jewish financier Haym Salomon, who helped fund and save the American Revolution.
Salomon, a largely forgotten hero of the American Revolution, facilitated the sale of most war aid from France and the Dutch Republic by issuing bills of exchange to American merchants. He also provided personal financial support to several members of the Continental Congress during their stay in Philadelphia, including James Madison and James Wilson.
In 1975, the United States Postal Service issued a 10-cent commemorative stamp honoring him as a “Contributor to the Cause” of the American Revolution. The reverse of the stamp reads: "Financial Hero – Businessman and broker Haym Salomon was responsible for raising most of the money needed to finance the American Revolution and later to save the new nation from collapse.”
Similar to the Egyptian Pharaoh who forgot Joseph's contributions to Egypt's prosperity, as recorded in "A new king who did not know of Joseph arose over Egypt" (Exodus 1:8), anti-Semites frequently disregard or deny the substantial contributions of Jewish individuals, such as Haym Solomon, to the development of the United States.
Nevertheless, as with the Egyptian Pharaoh, modern anti-Semites’ hatred is destined to fail.
This is a wonderful read for Independence Day. We need to recommit to our Constitution. The oath I took to enlist in the Army; the oath taken by (supposed) public servants; the pledge to defend the Constitution. We can worry less about all of our "antis" if we are pro the God-given rights that belong to all.
👏👏👏
What an utterly fascinating read, Batya. I look forward to reading the full book. Thank you.
" bigotry would be given no sanction, persecution no assistance."
Washington gets credit for that turn of phrase but in fact he was quoting the letter from Moses Seixas, the shul's shammas (synagogue's sexton), inviting him.
https://ajhs.org/wp-content/uploads/Letter-To-George-Washington.pdf
Batya, there is a Jewish Revolutionary War veterans' cemetery in lower Manhattan. It's being allowed to go to seed by the synagogue that owns the property, ironically, Shearith Israel. It needs to be protected as a federally recognized heritage site. I've been making some noise, but not enough.