As proud, patriotic Americans, we celebrate our country’s birth with friends, and fireworks. But as Jews, do we observe the Fourth of July? As a religious matter, many of us do observe Israel’s independence for a variety of theological and practical reasons, and even recite special prayers on that day. But we don’t typically do the same for the Fourth. Why not?

Whether looked at through the lens of “is it good for the Jews?” or the broader lens of does this bring us to a more perfect, more just, more Godly world, the founding of the United States is an unequivocally momentous happening. And while it’s true that the American Revolution was largely not a story about Jews, or even with significant Jewish involvement, it is nevertheless true that it ended up being among the most important events to impact Jewish history. Perhaps it’s time we embraced it as a Jewish holiday, not just an American holiday. It’s time to thank our Creator for the great experiment in freedom and responsibility that is the United States. God bless America!

About these ads