HOT LINK Site reflects Jews' lives in America

By ERIC GOODWIN
KNIGHT RIDDER/TRIBUNE
Part of the United States' growth from colony to world superpower can be attributed its rich cultural and ethnic diversity. People from all walks of life and parts of the globe have migrated here, weaving their traditions and beliefs into America's rich tapestry. This year, as Jewish Americans prepare to celebrate Hanukkah, they may also celebrate being part of this national fabric for more than three and a half centuries. The Library of Congress' exhibition "From Haven to Home" examines the history of Jewish life in America. The online exhibition can be found at http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/haventohome/.
"From Haven to Home" begins in 1654 as 23 Jewish refugees arrive in New Amsterdam (New York City) after the Portuguese reclaim the colony of Brazil from the Dutch. The site's "Haven" section outlines how this small collection of people established a community in North America. Some of the artifacts you can see include a set of letters between Moses Sexias of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, R.I., and President George Washington. Washington's response is noteworthy in that he tells the congregation that the United States gives "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."
The site goes on to detail how Jews have been a part of America's history including fighting on both sides of the Civil War (Judah P. Benjamin, the first Jew elected to the U.S. Senate, served in the cabinet of Confederate President Jefferson Davis). The site also outlines some of the discrimination the group has faced.
From Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colossus," which graces the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, to Irving Berlin's composition of "God Bless America," Jewish Americans have made lasting contributions to U.S. culture.