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The late Haym Salomon — the Jewish merchant who helped finance the American Revolution — was inducted into Jewish-American Hall of Fame on Sunday.
The online ceremony was co-hosted by the Jewish-American Hall of Fame and Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM),
Watch the full ceremony HERE:
Haym Salomon was a Polish-born Jewish immigrant and financial broker who became involved in the Patriot cause after arriving in New York City in 1775. He was arrested by the British multiple times, and ultimately escaped imprisonment and settled in Philadelphia, where he raised desperately needed funds for the Continental Army and revolutionary government.
Despite his contributions to the war effort, Salomon passed away in 1785 at the age of 44 largely unrecognized for the essential role he played in achieving American independence.
Salomon’s story is particularly powerful as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. Jewish Americans were not merely beneficiaries of the freedoms established by the American Revolution. They were active participants in securing those freedoms from the very beginning.
Sunday’s induction ceremony was moderated by Jewish-American Hall of Fame Deputy Director Arthur Maserjian, and speakers included Jewish-American Hall of Fame Founding Director Mel Wacks, CAM Director of Public Policy Eliana Valentine, American Jewish Historical Society Historian and Director of Academic Initiatives Andrew Sperling, Congregation Mikveh Israel-Philadelphia Archivist Jonathan Goldstein, Virginia Holocaust Museum President and Executive Director Sam Asher, and Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America Third Vice-President Joel Poznansky.
Valentine said, “The ideals America celebrates at 250, such as liberty, human dignity, and freedom of conscience, are ultimately rooted in Jewish and Judeo-Christian ethics. And in every generation since, Jewish Americans have helped build and shape our great country.”
“If we take a step back, Haym Solomon’s life reads like a preview of the 250 years that followed,” she noted. “He risked his life for independence and Jewish Americans have served in uniform ever since. He invested everything in the new nation, and Jewish philanthropy has built schools, hospitals, and universities across our country. He fought a religious test oath and answered antisemitism in public. And Jewish Americans have helped lead the fight for religious liberty ever since.”
“Combating antisemitism means understanding not only the hate itself, but the people and the values it targets,” Valentine continued. “That is why celebrating and teaching our history is one of the most positive tools we have.”
“When people, especially students, understand that history, they understand that Jews are not outsiders,” she emphasized. “Jewish Americans have been part of this country’s story from its very first chapter. And people who know that story are better equipped to recognize antisemitism and reject it.”
Maserjian stated, “Haym Salomon’s story asks us to look more carefully at the founding of our country. Independence depended on people willing to commit their abilities and resources to a future they could not take for granted. Salomon was one of those people, and his contribution deserves a lasting place in how we teach and remember the American Revolution.”
Read more:
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