"In December 1778, as the #American #Revolution still raged, a #Jewish #writer in #Charlestown opened a #newspaper and saw #Jews made into wartime #scapegoats. An article in the local press claimed that Jews in #Georgia had taken “every advantage in trade,” then fled with “ill-got wealth” as soon as the state was “attacked by an enemy,” “turning their backs upon the country when in danger.”
The writer did not let this accusation go unanswered. He responded in print. And he signed his reply with a line that declared both his patriotism and his devotion to #Judaism: “A real AMERICAN, and True hearted #ISRAELITE.”
That combination — civic belonging and Jewish identity claimed in the same breath — feels newly resonant as the #UnitedStates enters its 250th anniversary year.
The American story has never been free of #antisemitism. But this early source reveals something else that is often overlooked..."
https://www.jta.org/2026/01/13/ideas/for-250-years-american-jews-have-answered-prejudice-with-defiance