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Turn the page in the community’s life story from 1654 to August 17, 1790, and a letter addressed that day to President George Washington, by Moses Seixes, the warden of Newport RI’s Kahal Kadosh Yeshuah Yisrael synagogue. He expressed what this country had already come to mean to the small group of Jews who had settled in by the end of the 18th century: “Deprived as we heretofore (in other lands) have been of the invaluable rights of free citizens…we now behold… a Federal Union whose basis is philanthropy, mutual confidence, and public virtue…a government which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance….” (A History of the Jews in America, Abraham J. Karp, p.22)

New and different? In his answer to Seixas, Washington affirmed that “It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.” And confirming Seixas’ point of view, the president wrote “…happily the government of the United States, which gives bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it, on all occasions, their effectual support.”

I have a "copy" of President Washington's letter referenced in this article.
(Not just the words but an actual "photocopy" of it written in his own hand.)

You see, my great-great-greatfather was Jewish. (On my mother's sides of the family)
(I won't bore anyone with the details. Suffice it to say, he ended up marrying a Christian lady and their children were Christian. Those were the days of what we now call the "old west". Different time.)

When I was a child growing up (1940's-50's) and someone "made a slur" against "the Jews", I was always told by my parents and grandparents......Remember....you have a Jewish "great--grandfather.

'Nuff Said.

(This is America. I have the blood of several "races" (about 8) in my veins. I am an American-American!)