The Hidden Jewish History Inside the American Revolution

William Penn made it an edict that all those who wish to worship may come to Pennsylvania and worship with religious freedom. >> The declaration was making a call for this recognition of all but of course men and women were excluded from that. >> Congregation Mikvah Israel is the beacon of that religious freedom and tolerance because it started out when this country started out and we are still here. Oh yeah. Whoa. Philadelphia was founded as [music] a place of religious freedom and toleration. It stood in contrast to [music] other colonies which had sort of state religions which was the Church of England. So there's a growing Jewish community in Philadelphia in 1776. [music] And over the course of the Revolutionary War, they're growing in numbers to [music] the point that they actually want to build their own synagogue to have a physical meeting place. Not just meeting in people's houses, but having a place where they can all come together [music] and define themselves as a religious community here in Philadelphia alongside the Quaker meeting houses, the Lutheran, and and the other groups that have their own churches. Jonas Phillips uh joined with others to establish the actual congregation. >> Jonas Phillips was a Jewish immigrant from Germany who had come to live in Philadelphia [music] and settled here to do business. >> We know that Jonas Phillips served in the militia. He started in the south as actually an [music] indentured servant and he worked his way up to becoming a pretty successful merchant. During the summer of 1776, he encountered a Dunlap printing of the Declaration of [music] Independence here in Philadelphia. >> Jonas Phillips sends this copy of the Declaration of Independence to his relative in Amsterdam and he encloses it in a letter that he actually wrote in Yiddish or JudeoGerman. [music] >> And the note says, "We are seeing a new nation formed." [music] And he says, "I think they're going to win." This letter had to go through the Dutch Caribbean to get to Amsterdam [music] and it was intercepted by a British ship. And you have to imagine that a British officer [music] opening up this letter that was written in Yiddish in Philadelphia in July 1776 might think that it was written in code. So this document [music] actually ends up in the prize papers in the National Archives as a sort of intercepted [music] mail. It was just private correspondence. There wasn't anything no political intrigue in it. But that means that this copy of [music] the declaration lay hidden for years without anyone really realizing that it was there or knowing the full story. >> Jonas Phillips was also instrumental in the religious tests [music] clause of the US Constitution. >> In the Pennsylvania Constitution, there was a requirement [music] for a religious oath, more specifically a Christian oath in order to hold political office. And Jonas Phillips [music] and members of the congregation mikvah Israel disagreed with this. >> Jonas Phillips has a very moving letter, a very powerful letter [music] in which he addressed members of the convention through his own personal experiences. Somebody who fought for the revolution, fought for independence, will not have his patriotism [music] conflict with his Judaism and vice versa. The two were not to be foes against one another, but as friends that live in harmony. He reminds [music] the Constitutional Convention that the liberties that are promised in the Declaration of Independence should extend to all people, not just Christian people. The [music] religious diversity of Philadelphia is pretty remarkable and many visitors who come to Philadelphia comment on that in their writings and [music] how they can see various places of worship in this very city. Muslims were here at the time but they were not seen as as human beings because those were Muslims who were enslaved. They were hailing from what's today Seneagal Gambia that Sagambia region many of the enslaved [music] Muslims who were brought to America were forcibly converted into Christianity but many still kept their traditions alive and kept practicing [music] in different ways. There were continuous references within the [music] American Muslim discourse to this past of Muslims being in America [music] from early on that Islam is not foreign to America. The founding fathers, particularly Jefferson, [music] was giving particular thought to how to think about Muslims and he wrote about that and he owns a copy of a Quran, but that they were not recognized. >> Jonas [music] Phillips's grandson, Uriah Phillips Levy, becomes a commodor in the US Navy. It's the highest position that a [music] Jewish person had held at that time. After he leaves the Navy, he actually purchases Thomas Jefferson's plantation of Montichello [music] and tries to restore it out of sort of respect for Jefferson's legacy and influence both through the Declaration of Independence and his political career. >> Christ Church is here. The first Catholic [music] Church in Philadelphia is still here. These three institutions are within one block of each other. I believe when William Penn [music] said to the Jews, "Celebrate your religion with freedom, he opened a door and that that door should never be closed." And it [music] has opened. It has opened for Jews. It has opened for Muslims. It has opened for people of all faiths to [music] continue to celebrate and to understand [music] that the basis of this country is our differences and its [music] beauty. >> [music]