America Saved the Jews. Can the Jews Save America?

Seth C. Oranburg argues in Public Discourse that Jewish wisdom and historical connections could help preserve American values. He notes that the United States has historically protected Jewish people, citing the liberation of Dachau by American infantry in 1945 and President Harry Truman's rapid recognition of the State of Israel.

Oranburg points to George Washington's 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, as evidence of this deep connection. While the letter is often cited for its refusal to sanction bigotry or persecution, Oranburg clarifies that those specific words were sent to Washington by Moses Seixas, the congregation's warden.

The author highlights that Washington frequently used Hebrew imagery to describe the republic, specifically citing the prophet Micah. Washington used the phrase regarding sitting under one's own vine and fig tree nearly fifty times in his correspondence to express the purpose of the nation.