July 30 am

Once again we took the #17 bus. It went north from where we got it (about 2 blocks from our hotel) to Market street (the main E-W street in the historic district) and then the bus went down Market street and we got off just a few feet from the entrance of the National Museum of American Jewish History (first image). The part of the building that is clad in glass is the part that has stairs between the floors. The part faced in brick has the exhibits.

One of the exhibits had the original of a letter from George Washington which has the famous declaration of religious tolerance (its at the end of the 3rd paragraph- see 2nd image).

This declaration reads in part as follows, 

"...All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support...."

This was in response to a letter to George Washington from Moses Sexias (caligraphy by someone else - 3rd image) which said in part, 

 "...Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events behold a Government, erected by the Majesty of the People -- a Government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance -- but generously affording to all Liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship: deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language equal parts of the great governmental Machine..."

Washington's response is notably more expansive than Sexias's request in that Sexias uses the phrase "...generously affording to all..." implying liberty as a gift while Washington's language makes liberty an "inherent natural right".

There is also a lot of judaica of historic importance. I was particularly struck by the size of an 18th century etrog box (4th image). It was really small - about a third or half the size of contemporary etrog boxes.

We had lunch in the museum cafe - nothing special.