Jewish America 250 looks back on centuries of Jewish contributions to the U.S.
Hundreds celebrated 250 years of Jewish impact on America at Philadelphia's oldest synagogue Sunday.
While Philadelphia’s Fourth of July visitors might be long gone, hundreds of people were at Congregation Mikveh Israel in Center City on Sunday afternoon celebrating the Semiquincentennial while looking back at more than 250 years of Jewish contributions to the United States.
At Jewish America 250, visitors of all ages were met by more than 60 vendors, food trucks, and live music at the historic synagogue — the oldest in Philadelphia — for an interfaith celebration highlighting the nation’s history and founding principles, Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian said.
“We thought that it would be quite appropriate to honor the 250th celebration of the United States by having the entire community, doesn’t matter your religion, your race — totally irrelevant. If you are part of the Philadelphia community, we want you to come showcase your business, your institution, your restaurant here,” Zarnighian said.
“From 1788 to now, we’ve been about interfaith dialogue and sharing that common American heritage that doesn’t recognize religion or race or anything like that — it’s about being American,” he said.
Congregation Mikveh Israel has a rich history in Philadelphia tracing back to before the nation’s founding.
The synagogue’s artifacts and displays highlight the impact Philadelphia’s Jewish community has had throughout history: from protesting the inclusion of a religion oath in the Constitution to founding the Association of Jewish Immigrants in 1884.
The synagogue’s Spruce Street Cemetery recognizes some of this history, with part of the burial ground dedicated specifically to Jewish Revolutionary War soldiers, Zarnighian said.
In the synagogue at 44 N. Fourth St., the centerpiece of the synagogue’s connection to its past — a prayer table that has been used for centuries of services — sits atop a marble Civil War-era platform.
“It’s the symbol of uninterrupted Jewish prayer in Philadelphia since 1782,” Zarnighian said.
Siblings Sheryl Kline and Mark Fried, longtime members of the congregation, had a special connection to the history on display at Sunday’s event and were excited to share it.
The pair looked down at the rare travel Torah, kept safe behind protective glass, that had belonged to their grandfather, Gustav Cohn.
At roughly one-third the size of a regular Torah, the scroll was easy for Cohn to bring along as he made his way across the country as a traveling salesman.
He eventually settled in Philadelphia and, in his later years, moved in with his daughter’s family, who were longtime members of Mikveh Israel.
“We’re very proud,” Kline said. “We’re very proud to be part of the celebration of the country and the synagogue.”
Now living in the suburbs, the siblings do not travel into the city for services every week, but there is one special service that cannot be missed.
Per Cohn’s instructions when he lent the Torah, it must be read at least once a year, Kline said, “usually on my grandmother’s birthday.”
