American Jewish Experience: Still Exceptional

In July of 1776, the German-American Jew Jonas Phillips sent a letter in Yiddish to his friend in Amsterdam, alongside a copy of the just-adopted Declaration of Independence. Phillips expressed hope that the United States would win the war with England and effectuate the soaring ideals of the Declaration:

Two years later, Phillips joined the Revolutionary Army. In 1787, he sent a letter to George Washington, who was then presiding over the Constitutional Convention, pleading that Washington make sure that the Constitution included no religious test that would bar Jews from holding public office. For the convention itself, Phillips wished:

About the Author

Natan Ehrenreich

Natan Ehrenreich, a recent graduate of Yeshiva University, is a writing fellow at National Review.

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In July of 1776, the German-American Jew Jonas Phillips sent a letter in Yiddish to his friend in Amsterdam, alongside a copy of the just-adopted Declaration of Independence. Phillips expressed hope that the United States would win the war with England and effectuate the soaring ideals of the Declaration:

Two years later, Phillips joined the Revolutionary Army. In 1787, he sent a letter to George Washington, who was then presiding over the Constitutional Convention, pleading that Washington make sure that the Constitution included no religious test that would bar Jews from holding public office. For the convention itself, Phillips wished: