Jewish American Heritage Month

In observance of Jewish American Heritage Month in May, the non-profit organization B'Nai B'rith International would like to invite teachers around the country to join in celebrating words penned by George Washington in 1790.

In a letter to Moses Seixas, warden of the Newport Rhode Island Hebrew Congregation, Washington wrote that the U.S. government "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance," marking what many consider to be the first unconditional Presidential declaration of religious tolerance.

The full text of Washington's letter is available in Word format at http://bnaibrith.org/jahm/index.cfm.

More about Washington's letter from the Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm006.html

For more information about SEAchange, contact: Benson Gardner at (608) 266-3374.

Last updated on 5/21/2007