March 11, 2025 • 9 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Vince Benedetto of Bold Gold Media Group shares the remarkable story of George Washington's letter to a Hebrew congregation in Newport, Rhode Island that laid the groundwork for religious liberty in America.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we returned to our American stories. Up next a
story on one of the most important series of letters
regarding our nation's great principle of religious tolerance. Here to
tell the story is our regular contributor and the founder
and chairman of Bold Gold Media Group, Vince Benedetto. Let's
(00:30):
get into the story.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
In August seventeen ninety, America was a new nation with
a new constitution and a new government, and the country
had a war hero for its president, a man the
country knew and loved. A one page thank you letter
written by George Washington on August eighteenth of that year
would set the course of religious liberty and tolerance in
(00:54):
America and pave the path for the passage of the
First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. The story of
how that letter, Washington's letter to the Hebrew Congregation in
Rhode Island, came to be, reflects not just his character
and ideals, but also his new nations. America's first president
(01:15):
understood the importance of visiting the people of the new
constitutional republic he was leading, as well as the power
of the first three words of the newly ratified Constitution,
We the People. He spent a good deal of time,
making ceremonial tours of the nation, visiting the people of
(01:35):
the states. He had been chosen to serve the first
nine states. The number required for the constitution's ratification had
been reached by June of seventeen eighty eight, and the
Constitution became effective in March seventeen eighty nine. On April thirtieth,
seventeen eighty nine, Washington took his oath of office at
Federal Hall in New York City. Washington was the wonder
(02:02):
of his era. He built an army from nothing, defeated
the world's greatest empire, willingly walked away from power, presided
over an unprecedented constitutional convention, and was unanimously elected by
the Electoral College to be the New Republic's first president.
Rhode Island was the last of the hold out states,
(02:23):
ratifying the Constitution in May seventeen ninety. Washington understood the
gravity of the moment, visiting the Ocean state not only
to acknowledge the state's ratification of the Constitution, but also
to promote the passage of the Bill of Rights. When
Washington arrived in Newport, he was greeted with an outpouring
(02:45):
of affection Among those welcoming him was Moses Satius. Satius
was the warden of Newport's Toro Synagogue. The congregation likely
numbered in the hundreds of the time, and the number
of Jewish people in the new Nation was no more
than two thousand in a country of nearly four million.
(03:06):
Calling Jewish Americans a minority would be an understate. Satius
also understood the gravity of the President's visit and took
it upon himself to write a letter to Washington on
behalf of his congregation, Permit.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
The children of the stock of Abraham to approach you
with the most cordial affection and esteem for your person
and merits, and to join with our fellow citizens and
welcoming you to Newport.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
He continued with an analogy comparing the Revolutionary War with
the struggles of the ancient tribes of Israel, and likened
Washington to King David. Seatius then began his short but
powerful appeal on behalf of his congregation and all American Jews,
referencing the history of Jewish persecution around the world and
throughout history.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
As we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of
free citizens, we now with a deep sense of gratitude
to the almighty disposa of all events. We hold a
government erected by the majesty of the people, a government which,
to bigotry, gives no sanction to persecution, no assistance, but
generously affording to all liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship,
(04:22):
deeming everyone of whatever nation, tongue, or language, equal parts
of the great governmental machine.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Satius closed his letter with a prayer for the new present.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
For all these blessings of civil and religious liberty which
we enjoy under an benign administration, we desire to send
up our thanks to the Ancient of days, the great
Preserver of men, beseeching him that the Angel who conducted
our forefathers through the wilderness into the promised land, may
graciously conduct you through all the difficulties and dangers of
this mortal life. And when, like Joshua, full of days
(04:59):
and full of honor, you are gathered to your father's
may you be admitted into the heavenly paradise to partake
of the water of life and the Tree of immortality.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Washington was moved by these sentiments. On the same day
he responded to the expressions of gratitude with his letter
strongly affirming the principles of freedom of religion. Washington's reply
to Satius's plea would be the clearest statement on the
subject by a nation's leader in world history. Unlike so
(05:33):
many nations past and present ruled by kings and despots
who tolerated the Jewish faith, Washington, incorporating some of Satious's
own language, proclaimed the followers.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
It is now no more that toleration is spoken of
as if it were the indulgence of one class of
people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherentrant natural rights,
or happily, the government of the United States, which gives
to bigotry, no sanction, to persecution, no assistance, requires only
(06:13):
that they who live under its protection should demean themselves
as good citizens, in giving it, on all occasions their
effectual support.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Washington, revealing his reverence for Scripture, addressed the Jewish people specifically.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell
in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good
will of the other inhabitants, while everyone shall sit in
safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there
shall be none to make him afraid.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Washington's speedy and personal reply was itself significant. It demonstrated
his view that the president, in rights and under law,
is the equal of the citizens, and was elected to
serve them rather than have them serve him. Most importantly,
the leader of America, himself an Anglican in an overwhelmingly
(07:15):
Christian country, address the Jewish people as equals. Washington concluded
his letter with a prayer of his own. These may
very well be the most beautiful words he would ever write.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
May the Father of all merciless scatter light and not
darkness upon our paths, and make us all and our
several vocations useful here and in his own due time
and way, everlastingly happy.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Washington's letter no doubt affected public sentiment, as did his
tour of the nation in support of the Bill of Rights.
For on December fifteenth, seventeen ninety one, three fourths of
the States ratified the first ten Amendments to the Constitution,
and there in the first amendment was the very first
(08:15):
freedom protected from government interference, a head of freedom of
speech or the press, freedom of assembly, or the right
to petition. The Government Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
(08:38):
America was and still is a refuge for religious people
around the world and a refuge for atheists and agnostics.
Two we have George Washington and our founders and Moses
Satious too to thank for it. And two letters written
on the same summer day back in seventeen ninety one.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by our own Monty Montgomery. A special thanks to Joseph
Goodwin and to Brian Hilton, and of course a special
thanks to Vince Benedetto. He and I co wrote this
piece for a newsweek a year or so ago and
just thought, wow, let's bring this to life. And Vince's
radio guy through and through, a terrific historian and also
(09:28):
a station owner that carries our American stories. A special
thanks to Vince, and we were both blown away by
the end of that Washington letter. Made the Father of
all mercies scatter light and not darkness upon our paths,
and make us all, in our several vocations useful here
and in his own due time. That's the Lord's and way,
(09:50):
everlastingly happy, beautiful words for all of us to live by.
The story of tolerance the real kind on our American stories.
And we returned to our American stories. Up next a
story on one of the most important series of letters
regarding our nation's great principle of religious tolerance. Here to
tell the story is our regular contributor and the founder
and chairman of Bold Gold Media Group, Vince Benedetto. Let's
(00:30):
get into the story.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
In August seventeen ninety, America was a new nation with
a new constitution and a new government, and the country
had a war hero for its president, a man the
country knew and loved. A one page thank you letter
written by George Washington on August eighteenth of that year
would set the course of religious liberty and tolerance in
(00:54):
America and pave the path for the passage of the
First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. The story of
how that letter, Washington's letter to the Hebrew Congregation in
Rhode Island, came to be, reflects not just his character
and ideals, but also his new nations. America's first president
(01:15):
understood the importance of visiting the people of the new
constitutional republic he was leading, as well as the power
of the first three words of the newly ratified Constitution,
We the People. He spent a good deal of time,
making ceremonial tours of the nation, visiting the people of
(01:35):
the states. He had been chosen to serve the first
nine states. The number required for the constitution's ratification had
been reached by June of seventeen eighty eight, and the
Constitution became effective in March seventeen eighty nine. On April thirtieth,
seventeen eighty nine, Washington took his oath of office at
Federal Hall in New York City. Washington was the wonder
(02:02):
of his era. He built an army from nothing, defeated
the world's greatest empire, willingly walked away from power, presided
over an unprecedented constitutional convention, and was unanimously elected by
the Electoral College to be the New Republic's first president.
Rhode Island was the last of the hold out states,
(02:23):
ratifying the Constitution in May seventeen ninety. Washington understood the
gravity of the moment, visiting the Ocean state not only
to acknowledge the state's ratification of the Constitution, but also
to promote the passage of the Bill of Rights. When
Washington arrived in Newport, he was greeted with an outpouring
(02:45):
of affection Among those welcoming him was Moses Satius. Satius
was the warden of Newport's Toro Synagogue. The congregation likely
numbered in the hundreds of the time, and the number
of Jewish people in the new Nation was no more
than two thousand in a country of nearly four million.
(03:06):
Calling Jewish Americans a minority would be an understate. Satius
also understood the gravity of the President's visit and took
it upon himself to write a letter to Washington on
behalf of his congregation, Permit.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
The children of the stock of Abraham to approach you
with the most cordial affection and esteem for your person
and merits, and to join with our fellow citizens and
welcoming you to Newport.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
He continued with an analogy comparing the Revolutionary War with
the struggles of the ancient tribes of Israel, and likened
Washington to King David. Seatius then began his short but
powerful appeal on behalf of his congregation and all American Jews,
referencing the history of Jewish persecution around the world and
throughout history.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
As we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of
free citizens, we now with a deep sense of gratitude
to the almighty disposa of all events. We hold a
government erected by the majesty of the people, a government which,
to bigotry, gives no sanction to persecution, no assistance, but
generously affording to all liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship,
(04:22):
deeming everyone of whatever nation, tongue, or language, equal parts
of the great governmental machine.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Satius closed his letter with a prayer for the new present.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
For all these blessings of civil and religious liberty which
we enjoy under an benign administration, we desire to send
up our thanks to the Ancient of days, the great
Preserver of men, beseeching him that the Angel who conducted
our forefathers through the wilderness into the promised land, may
graciously conduct you through all the difficulties and dangers of
this mortal life. And when, like Joshua, full of days
(04:59):
and full of honor, you are gathered to your father's
may you be admitted into the heavenly paradise to partake
of the water of life and the Tree of immortality.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Washington was moved by these sentiments. On the same day
he responded to the expressions of gratitude with his letter
strongly affirming the principles of freedom of religion. Washington's reply
to Satius's plea would be the clearest statement on the
subject by a nation's leader in world history. Unlike so
(05:33):
many nations past and present ruled by kings and despots
who tolerated the Jewish faith, Washington, incorporating some of Satious's
own language, proclaimed the followers.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
It is now no more that toleration is spoken of
as if it were the indulgence of one class of
people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherentrant natural rights,
or happily, the government of the United States, which gives
to bigotry, no sanction, to persecution, no assistance, requires only
(06:13):
that they who live under its protection should demean themselves
as good citizens, in giving it, on all occasions their
effectual support.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Washington, revealing his reverence for Scripture, addressed the Jewish people specifically.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell
in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good
will of the other inhabitants, while everyone shall sit in
safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there
shall be none to make him afraid.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Washington's speedy and personal reply was itself significant. It demonstrated
his view that the president, in rights and under law,
is the equal of the citizens, and was elected to
serve them rather than have them serve him. Most importantly,
the leader of America, himself an Anglican in an overwhelmingly
(07:15):
Christian country, address the Jewish people as equals. Washington concluded
his letter with a prayer of his own. These may
very well be the most beautiful words he would ever write.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
May the Father of all merciless scatter light and not
darkness upon our paths, and make us all and our
several vocations useful here and in his own due time
and way, everlastingly happy.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Washington's letter no doubt affected public sentiment, as did his
tour of the nation in support of the Bill of Rights.
For on December fifteenth, seventeen ninety one, three fourths of
the States ratified the first ten Amendments to the Constitution,
and there in the first amendment was the very first
(08:15):
freedom protected from government interference, a head of freedom of
speech or the press, freedom of assembly, or the right
to petition. The Government Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof
(08:38):
America was and still is a refuge for religious people
around the world and a refuge for atheists and agnostics.
Two we have George Washington and our founders and Moses
Satious too to thank for it. And two letters written
on the same summer day back in seventeen ninety one.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by our own Monty Montgomery. A special thanks to Joseph
Goodwin and to Brian Hilton, and of course a special
thanks to Vince Benedetto. He and I co wrote this
piece for a newsweek a year or so ago and
just thought, wow, let's bring this to life. And Vince's
radio guy through and through, a terrific historian and also
(09:28):
a station owner that carries our American stories. A special
thanks to Vince, and we were both blown away by
the end of that Washington letter. Made the Father of
all mercies scatter light and not darkness upon our paths,
and make us all, in our several vocations useful here
and in his own due time. That's the Lord's and way,
(09:50):
everlastingly happy, beautiful words for all of us to live by.
The story of tolerance the real kind on our American stories.
Host
Lee Habeeb
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