News & Events

Washington Had Opinions on Religious Freedom – Combating Extremism

Dear Friends,

To the Founding Fathers, freedom of religion was a cornerstone of American democracy—even before the Bill of Rights was adopted.
Need proof? Check out the correspondence between America’s first president, George Washington, and Moses Seixas, the Hazzan of Newport’s Touro Synagogue of Congregation Jeshuat Israel. While they failed to include enslaved African Americans and Native Americans in their vision of religious freedom, their vision and commitment to freedom of conscience offer us timeless insights and the some of the highest values—values that belong to all of us!
On this July 4th, we’re sharing a Combating Extremism resource titled: The President and the Hazzan, along with Questions that prompt discussion.

Join us in defending our founding values and Combating Extremism,
Joyce S. Dubensky
CEO

P.S. We are thrilled to announce that Tanenbaum is a 2018 Nissan Foundation grant recipient in support of our Combating Extremism campaign! Read our press release here.