When Abraham and Sarah leave Ur-Casdim and head for the land God will show them, God makes a promise, “I will assign this land to your offspring.” (Gen. 12:7) God’s covenant with Abraham and Sarah would be passed down to Isaac and Rebecca, to Jacob, Leah, and Rachel and eventually to their descendants the Children of Israel. This is how we get the concept of “The Promised Land.” The land of Israel would become the epicenter for our Hebrew language, culture, religious faith, and national aspirations, heartbreaking exile, and miraculous return. For thousands of years our people sought to once again be able to determine our destiny and live freely in the Promised Land. “Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all of its inhabitants…” (Lev. 25:10) And despite the current struggles and heartache we find ourselves in – Israel remains our land of Hope.
But, if Israel is the Promised Land then we have also been blessed by another land – a land I believe is the “Land of Promise.” – the United States. Unlike most countries founded on religious and/or ethnic identity, the United States was founded on ideas – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence) These ideas would become the promise of a land of liberty, opportunity, and equality which immigrants from all over the world would dream about. Breaking free from the shackles of monarchy and subjugation, state and church sponsored pogroms, limited economic freedom, and the virulent antisemitism that kept us in Pales of Settlement, ghettos, and disempowered. And so wave upon wave of Jewish (and of course non-Jewish) immigration would transform this country bringing new ideas, hard working laborers, a melting pot of innovative artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs in search of the promise of America.
Since its founding there was always a tension between the promise of America and the reality of America. From the evils of slavery, destruction of Native Americans, lack of women’s rights, antisemitism, anti-immigrant backlash and the gap between the wealthy and the poor – there is a lot that we must reckon with. Dr. King termed it a “promissory note” that has gone unpaid. Yet, despite its many flaws and failings, for Jews seeking a place where we could flourish and live in relative peace – in our long history there has never been quite a country like America. From the freedom of religion, speech, and assembly to the profound opportunity of citizenship, voting, representation, and equality under the law – Jews had never experienced a place where we could, as a small minority, literally help to build the country from its founding and become part of the very fabric of the Goldena Medina itself. We have not only prospered beyond imagination but contributed to the promise of America.
America is more than an “experiment” but a project that is worth investing in, fighting for, and dreaming about together. Far from perfect, this country needs “We the People…” and we Jews are an important part of that “We”. While only 2% of the population, we have contributed greatly to: Nobel Prize winners, Broadway, the movies & tv, musicians, fashion and beauty, shopping, literature, economics, technology, politics and civil rights, and military service – the American Jewish community has been a blessing to America and America has been a blessing to us. I believe we should thank God for being alive in a time where we as Jews can help build the Promised Land and the Land of Promise. There is no guarantee for their continued prosperity and freedom but instead a sacred responsibility for each of us to add our labor, talents, and resources to see the project of Israel & America move closer to the ideals and promise each possess and upon which we as Jews depend.
May God bless America! Happy 250th Birthday!
