THE PROMISE OF AMERICA?

I was very moved by an editorial by the columnist, David French, in The New York Times, February 10, 2026, entitled, “The Already and The Not Yet,” in which the first paragraph is, “I couldn’t stop blinking back tears, and I couldn’t understand why,” after seeing the movie called the “Testament of Ann Lee,” the founder of the Shakers religious movement, which fled to America shortly before the American Revolution to escape persecution. And found persecution here in America. Sound familiar?

Near the end of his editorial, David French refers to George Washington and a famous Bible verse, Micah 4:4, which our first American President, George Washington, repeated and referred to almost fifty times in his writings.

David French writes, referring to the early American Jews during the

Revolutionary period, that “Washington referred to that verse most famously when writing to the Hebrew congregation of Newport, Rhode Island, assuring them of their liberty in this new nation. “He wrote, “may the children of the stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the goodwill of the other inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”

David French ends his editorial with still having hope for the America that we all love and wishes that we all may sit securely in in the shade of the tree of liberty. As he says in his title, “The Already and The Not Yet.”

Anyone who looks openly Jewish wearing a kippot or other reflections of the religion, is being openly persecuted in America today as the Shakers were back when. What is being done to assure American Jews liberty approaching the 250th anniversary of our nation?

Unfortunately, I don’t have as much faith as David French does in George Washington’s “expression of American pluralism and religious tolerance.” David French says, “our nation is not a place – it will never be a place – where we all agree with one another, much less look like one another, or even come from a common culture. But we can live together as neighbors as long as we recognize one other’s inherent dignity and worth.”

I believe in his beginning, all just words. I question his hope, without action. We American Jews are afraid Americans, today, in America in 2026.

David French ends with, “there are still too many caskets under the tree of liberty. But the tree is still alive, and it continues to grow. May we all sit securely in its shade one day. “

Amen.

But how?

As there are those who do more than make us Americans who are Jewish afraid, they do harm to us again and again now in America, our beloved home.  I recently attended a bar mitzvah in a synagogue with two police cars and police protecting us. American Jews needing protection in the land of liberty and of freedom to worship. As a Jew, I was still scared to be in the synagogue, but I was going to be there.

According to Wikipedia on “Antisemitism in the United States,“ describing incidents of hatred, hostility, harm, prejudice, or discrimination against people identifying as Jews, religiously, culturally, and or ethnically within the United States, FBI data shows that every year since 1991, Jews were the most frequent targets of religiously motivated hate crimes, even though current numbers may be underreported as is the case for many other targeted groups . . . . A 2025 survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, concluded that “60% of Americans at least somewhat agree that antisemitism is a serious problem. 24% of Americans, however, maintained that the recent antisemitic attacks were understandable.”

This is a substantial number of Americans who justify or excuse violence against other Americans, American Jews, according to this survey published July 11, 2025 by the A.D.L. In the title it says there is “[b]road bipartisan consensus in favor of increased government action to combat antisemitism.” Where? When? How? What? 

I know a legacy President Trump at America’s 250^th birthday could uniquely accomplish for America and Americans that which has broad bipartisan support and the support of most American citizens—assure the liberty of America for American Jews and ensure its resources will be pledged to triumph to end antisemitism. Accomplish what George Washington could not for its American Jews, nor any president since.

“The Already and Not Yet” Again. As a child of Holocaust survivors, I am blinking back tears, and I understand why.

With little joy, but with David French, I have hope -- that this time in history may be the key. 

Mema