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The leaders of Savannah's Mickve Israel Congegation wrote to Washington, apparently in May 1790, congratulating him on his election as president. The letter was signed by Levi Sheftall,the first president of the Mickve Israel congregation. Along with his brother Mordecai Sheftall (1735– 1797), he was among those chiefly responsible for initiating the address to Washington. Their letter apologized for the delay in writing congratulations to the President and expressed their "unbounded confidence in your [Washington's] integrety and unblemished virtue." They emphasized Washington's ...unexampled liberality and extensive philanthropy [that]have dispelled that cloud of bigotry and superstition which has long, as a veil, shaded religion—unrivetted the fetters of enthusiasm—enfranchised us with all the privileges and immunities of free citizens, and initiated us into the grand mass of legislative mechanism. Washington's response directly addressed Jewish concerns by writing: I rejoice that a spirit of liberality and philanthropy is much more prevalent than it formerly was among the enlightened nations of the earth; and that your brethren will benefit thereby in proportion as it shall become still more extensive. Washington's respect for Jews and their beliefs was elegantly stated in the closing of his letter: May the same wonder-working Deity, who long since delivering the Hebrews from their Egyptian Oppressors planted them in the promised land—whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation—still continue to water them with the dews of Heaven and to make the inhabitants of every denomination participate in the temporal and spiritual blessings of that people whose God is Jehovah. Read the Correspondence |
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