A Forgotten Founding Father and America’s Uptick in Antisemitism

Americans remain strongly divided about the conflict in and around Israel. However, is that reason enough for 42 percent of us to either have friends or family who dislike Jews or find it socially acceptable for a close family member to support Hamas? For antisemitic assaults to increase by 360 percent after the attack in Israel? For nearly half of Jewish Americans to feel compelled to change their behavior last year for fear of antisemitism?

Maybe too much education about the Holocaust has included both “denial and distortion,” as one study found, with some people even believing Jews were responsible. Or perhaps we are forgetting that, free from the oppression of individual tyrants or collectivist governments, Jews have played a significant part in the success of the United States. Like Founding Father Haym Salomon.

Salomon, born in Poland in 1740, came to America because of Russian aggression and became a broker for international merchants. Philadelphia’s historic district has a street sign dedicated to him. He joined the Sons of Liberty, a secret society devoted to undermining the British. He was captured and, during his 18 months in prison, helped countless American prisoners escape. Later, after being sentenced to death, he escaped.

In 1781, Congress was broken, and George Washington’s troops were starving. The troops were ready to desert because they had not been paid (American paper money was worthless at this point). Robert Morris, the finance chief for the colonies, told Washington that Congress didn’t have the money, so Washington contacted Salomon. Within days, Salomon raised $20,000 ($13 million today) and Washington could go to Yorktown and win the decisive battle of the Revolution.

In short, it’s possible that no Salomon, no United States.

It can be argued that Jews have contributed disproportionately to their numbers to America’s success, in sports terms, “fighting above their weight.”

Perhaps it’s because ever since the Israelites — led by Moses — escaped Egyptian slavery, Jewish culture has emphasized that the best way to accumulate capital is in the mind. They could not be forbidden to own this type of capital, and it did not need to be carried during their difficult diaspora throughout the world.

Yet, Americans have not always treated them well, partly due to our educational issues. In 1939, the United States turned 937 desperate Jewish passengers from the German ocean liner St Louis away from Miami. President Franklin Roosevelt argued it was a threat to national security. At the end of World War II, with millions more Jews looking for new homes, Americans allowed in only 12,849 under President Harry Truman’s directive.

While Truman is mainly regarded by history as a supporter of the new nation of Israel, he was known behind the scenes for antisemitic comments like “I am put out by the Jews. Jesus Christ couldn’t please them when he was here on earth, so how could anyone expect I would have any luck?” 

Apparently, attitudes like these haven’t changed much among some Americans.

That would help explain why antisemitism is growing even amid contributions from Jews who have founded Amazon, Comcast, Groupon, Estee Lauder, Dell, Lyft, Open AI, Budget, LinkedIn, Google and Facebook. Or from some of our most famous scientists: Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Robert Oppenheimer and Carl Sagan. There are Supreme Court justices and one of the world’s greatest economists, Milton Friedman.

Jewish movie directors have given us “12 Angry Men,” “Ghostbusters,” “Casablanca,” “Spider-Man,” “Men in Black,” “Cool Hand Luke,” and “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” Stan Lee created Marvel Comics, leading to a host of popular movies. Many famous actors have Jewish heritage, including Harrison Ford, Elizabeth Taylor, Natalie Portman, Jack Black, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scarlet Johansson and Seth Rogen.

As for Salomon, he died in 1785, his family penniless, while owed hundreds of thousands of dollars by the government. Legend has it that when George Washington asked him what he wanted in return for his selfless sacrifices, Saloman said nothing for himself but rather something for his people. Thus, the story goes, the first American flag had 13 stars arranged in the Star of David.

Antisemitism ought to be 100 percent unacceptable in this country, no matter the reason — including ignorance.

Richard Williams is the board chairman of the Center for Truth in Science. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.