A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
The opening paragraph of the Declaration of Independence provides:
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.
The Fourth of July, Independence Day, marks the historic date in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. By this document the American colonies expressed that they were tired of being ruled by Great Britain and that they were determined become their own country. We celebrate July 4th to honor the core American values of freedom, democracy and equality that have built and shaped our nation.
What a Jewish concept the American founders adopted. It encompasses many of our own core values as a people. From the moment our ancestors were exiled from Israel, our homeland, it was our fervent hope to be reunited, as a people, within its boundaries once again. Our only desire was to be free from the whims and vicissitudes of those who invited us into their countries only to later abuse us.
The American founders sought to create a new kind of country. A country that would ultimately attempt to treat all people equally. And, indeed, the Jewish community has been an integral part of the American fabric since before the Revolutionary War, etching these foundational values into the bedrock of American society.
Early on, July 4th was recognized as an important holiday. In the mid-19th century, the prominent Reform leader Isaac Mayer Wise declared, “Next to the Passover feast, the Fourth of July is the greatest, because it is a memorial of the triumph of liberty.” Wise is said to have referred to Independence Day as the second redemption of mankind from the hands of their oppressors.
Dr. Cyrus Adler, who figured prominently in the Conservative movement in the early 20th century, wrote: “We in America have every reason to be thankful to God and to our country for the freedom and happiness we, as Jews, enjoy here in the United States.”
Thus, Jewish educator Ben Edidin, in his manual on Jewish holidays (of which American Independence Day was one), wrote: “The Declaration of Independence granted Jews unprecedented freedoms, and therefore, they should celebrate as a sacred occasion, the holiday that commemorated the document’s adoption.”
Though we have not made it an official Jewish holiday, we Jews take the Fourth of July Seriously. Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan even wrote a prayer to commemorate the day. Take a look:
A Prayer for the Fourth of July written by Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan in 1945
(From the Open Siddur Project Opensiddur.org)(I have edited it to make it gender-neutral)
That America Fulfil the Promise of Its Founding
O God, who is Liberator and Redeemer, Lawgiver and Judge,
who rules over all (hu)mankind
and presides over the destinies of nations,
we invoke your continued blessing on our Republic,
which your grace called into being,
and your love has sustained to this day.
May America remain loyal
to the principles of the Declaration of Independence,
and extend their application
to ever widening areas of life.
Keep out of our life all manner of oppression,
persecution, and unjust discrimination;
save us from religious,
racial and class conflicts;
may our country be a haven of refuge
to the victims of injustice and misrule.
Instruct us in the art of living together,
of reconciling differences of opinion
and averting clashes of interest,
of helping one another
to achieve a harmonious and abundant life.
Give us the wisdom to elect to leadership capable,
conscientious (individuals), (leaders) of integrity
who will govern our people
according to your law of righteousness.
Bless the enterprise of the American people,
that they may utilize the natural resources of the land
for the highest good of all men.
May America be ever hospitable
to new revelations of truth in science and philosophy,
ever sensitive to the appeal of beauty in nature and art,
ever responsive to the call of duty
and the spirit of religious consecration and worship;
And may Americans so love their country
that they shall withhold no sacrifice required
to safeguard its life and to fulfil its promise;
That the Star-Spangled Banner,
the symbol of our American democracy,
may ever wave o’er the land of the free
and the home of the brave.
Enjoy your 4th!!! Don’t forget to join us for dinner and our talk with Dr. Eric Mandel this Friday, July 5th. And enjoy Ben Lipman our Juggler/Magician/mime and more, this Sunday, July 7th. And, of course, don’t forget about our next beach service on Friday, July12th right here on 24th Street in beautiful Spray Beach at 6:00 PM.
Shabbat Shalom, Hodesh Tov, and Happy July 4th – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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