Celebrating Independence ‘Jewish Style’
Taking a page from the Shavuot playbook — when Jews commemorate the giving of the Torah by staying up all night to study it — a group of Philadelphia Jews is planning to spend the evening of July 3 studying the country’s founding documents: “America’s Torah.”
“We’re studying the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, Jewish style,” Catherine Fischer said. Fischer is the coordinator of the Kehillah of Center City, an interdenominational consortium of Philadelphia-area congregations.
The study session, led by University of Pennsylvania historian Michael Zuckerman, will take place at Congregation Mikveh Israel, a Spanish-Portuguese synagogue located just a block from the Liberty Bell. Founded in 1740, Mikveh Israel is often referred to as the “Synagogue of the Revolution.”
The event is geared toward those interested in “doing something meaningful on Independence Day as well as celebrating,” Fischer told the Forward. It runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., just before the fireworks.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
