A Story of a Jewish Soldier Fighting in George Washington’s Army During Hanukkah

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

http://www.jewishjournal.com/rabbijohnrosovesblog/item/a_story_of_a_jewish_soldier_fighting_in_george_washingtons_army_during_hanu


A Story of a Jewish Soldier Fighting in George Washington’s Army During Hanukkah

Posted by Rabbi John Rosove

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In February I will be spending the first part of my sabbatical leave enhancing my spoken Hebrew ability at Ulpan Or in Jerusalem. For Hanukkah the Ulpan sent me this story, and I share it happily with you.

Hanukkah sameach!

It is Hanukkah in the year of 1776. The winter is hard and the cold is fearsome. We are starving for bread. We have no clothes to warm our bodies and no shoes for our feet.

At these moments, I am reminded of my father in Poland. I recall how much he suffered at the hands of the cruel Baron. I remember I was but a youngster and saw my father dance before the Baron. How terrible was the sight. My father was made to dress up in the skin of a white bear and he danced for the sport of the Baron and his guests. How great is my pain and shame. Father dances as a bear and the Baron jests and revels. I affirm in my heart that I will never be so humiliated myself. At my first opportunity, I set sail to America.

It is now the first night of Hanukkah. This very night, two years ago, I fled from my father’s home in Poland. My father gave me a Hanukkah menorah and said, “When you will light, my son, these candles for Hanukkah, they will illuminate the path for you.” From that day on, my menorah was as an amulet. Wherever I go, I take it with me.

Suddenly, I feel a soft, tender hand upon my head. I lift my eyes, and behold it is him, in all his majesty, General George Washington standing upon me. He asks me, “Why soldier do you cry? Is it then so very cold?”

I forgot at that moment that I am a soldier in the presence of my superior, and spoke before him as a child to a parent. “My master the General,” I said. “I cry and pray for your victory. I am certain with the help of God, we shall prevail. Today, the enemy is strong; tomorrow they will surely fall, for justice is with us. We seek to be free in this land; we desire to build a country for all who flee from oppression and suffer abroad. The Barons will not rule here. The enemy will falter and you will succeed.”

The General shook my hand. “Thank you, soldier,” he said, and sat at my side next to the menorah. “What is this?” asked the General. I told him I brought it from my parent’s home. Jews the world-over light this menorah to celebrate the great miracle of Hanukkah and the miraculous salvation of the Jews. The light of the Hanukkah menorah danced in the eyes of General Washington as he called forth in joy, “You are a Jew from the children of prophets and you declared that we shall prevail.” “Yes my master,” I answered with confidence. We will be victorious as the Maccabees of old, for our own sake and the sake of all who follow us to build a new land and a new life.

The General got up; his face was ablaze. He shook my hand and disappeared into the darkness. My faith was rewarded, victory was achieved, and peace reigned in the land. My General became the leader of our new country, and I became one of its citizens.

I quickly forgot those frightful days and nights at Valley Forge. However, that first night of Hanukkah, with General Washington, I carried in my heart always as a precious dream.

The first night of Hanukkah the following year of 1777, I was sitting in my house in New York on Broome Street, with the Hanukkah light in my window. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door, and incredibly, my General, George Washington is standing in the doorway. “Behold, the wondrous flame, the flame of hope of all Jewry,” he called forth in joy as he gazed upon its light.

The General placed his hand upon my shoulder and said, “This light and your beautiful words lit a flame in my heart that night. Surely, you and your comrades will receive due recognition for all of your valor at Valley Forge. But this night, accept from me, this medallion.” He hung the medallion of gold upon my chest and shook my hand. Tears came to my eyes; I couldn’t say a word. The General shook my hand once again and left the house.

I stirred as if coming from a beautiful dream. I then looked upon my medallion and saw a beautiful engraving of a Hanukkah menorah with the first candle lit. Below was written, “As an expression of gratitude for the candle of your menorah.”

This medallion is part of the permanent collection in the Jewish Museum in New York.
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[serbian army]

Very touching story. I am not Jewish but few tears escaped while reading this...

[briann]

Wow, that is a great story.

[muman613]

Apparently the great George Washington had a special connection with Jews...

http://www.torahcafe.com/professor-jonathan-sarna/george-washington-e2-80-99s-correspondence-with-the-jews-of-newport-segment-1-video_402292027.html

On August 17, 1790, Moses Seixas, the warden of Congregation Kahal Kadosh Yeshuat Israel, better known as the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, RI, penned an epistle to George Washington, welcoming the newly elected first president of the United States on his visit to that city. Professor Sarna presents an outstanding examination of this celebrated letter to Washington from Newport, RI’s congregation, now known as Touro Synagogue, and his oft-quoted reply, both of timeless importance.

This class was given at the National Jewish Retreat - a yearly event hosted by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.  The Retreat is a five day learning and discovery experience with world-class Torah lecturers which offers the opportunity to relax, reflect and refresh one’s spirit in a luxurious setting. For more information about the National Jewish Retreat and to register for this year’s Retreat, check out JRetreat.com

And here is a discussion of the man who Ephraim posted about in this thread:

http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/266/Q2/

Steve Weiss from Chicago wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

Do you know if there is any truth to the following article that I read? I am somewhat skeptical, but wonder if you have any knowledge of this: "A couple of years ago, at West Point, there was a display about Hyam Salomon and the Revolutionary War. He died penniless, having used all his resources to aid the newly formed and poorly supplied American "army." The following story is told about him:

General Washington's financial advisor and assistant was a Jewish man by the name of Hyam Salomon. During the cold winter of Valley Forge when American soldiers were freezing and running out of food, it was Hyam who marshaled Jews in America and Europe to provide money in relief aid to these stranded American troops and turned the course of history. Without this help, our "army" would have perished before they could have defeated the British. If you take a one dollar bill out of your pocket and look at the back at the Eagle, the stars above the Eagle's head are in the six point Star of David to honor Jews. If you turn the Eagle upside down you will see a configuration in the likeness of a Menorah...both at the insistence of George Washington who said we should never forget the Jewish people."

Dear Steve Weiss,

The small Jewish community in colonial America gave more than their share toward the United States' revolutionary cause. One such patriot was indeed Hyam Salomon, who gave $300,000, an immense fortune for those days.

But I doubt that the "Great Seal of the United States" which appears on the dollar bill makes any hint to Salomon's contribution, or that George Washington had anything to say about it.

The first bill to bear this symbol was the $1 Silver Certificate, Series 1935, long after Washington's death.

The "Great Seal" itself was commissioned by Congress in 1776 and adopted six years later, but during this time George Washington was busy fighting the war. The designing committee, which included Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, did not include Washington. Nor did Washington become president until seven years after this seal had been adopted, so it's questionable that he would have had any input.

The thirteen stars, representing the 13 original states, do indeed form the Star of David (also known as "Solomon's seal"). Exactly why, I don't know. In general, though, it's clear that Franklin and Jefferson had "biblical" motif in mind, as their original draft of the Great Seal showed "rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Cloud, expressive of the divine Presence and Command, beaming on Moses."

But don't worry. Hyam Salomon wasn't forgotten. In 1893, a bill was presented before the 52nd Congress ordering a gold medal struck off in recognition of Salomon's contributions to the United States.

[Zelhar]

I don't like this, a fake story by a fake "rabbi". There is so much anachronism in this story. The Jew there is a modern Jew who know very little about Judaism.

[muman613]

I don't like this, a fake story by a fake "rabbi". There is so much anachronism in this story. The Jew there is a modern Jew who know very little about Judaism.

Chaim Solomon really did meet with Washington... But it appears the medallion was not made till 1893...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haym_Solomon

Finance [edit]
Once resettled, Solomon resumed his activities as a broker. He became the agent to the French consul, as well as the paymaster for the French forces in North America. In 1781, he began working extensively with Robert Morris, the newly appointed Superintendent for Finance for the Thirteen Colonies.[7]

In August 1781, the Continental Army had trapped Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis in the little Virginia coastal town of Yorktown. George Washington and the main army and Count de Rochambeau with his French army decided to march from the Hudson Highlands to Yorktown and deliver the final blow. But Washington's war chest was completely empty, as was that of Congress. Washington determined that he needed at least $20,000 to finance the campaign. When Morris told him there were no funds and no credit available, Washington gave him a simple but eloquent order: "Send for Haym Solomon". Solomon raised $20,000, through the sale of bills of exchange, and Washington conducted the Yorktown campaign, which proved to be the final battle of the Revolution.[4]

Solomon negotiated the sale of a majority of the war aid from France and the Dutch Republic, selling bills of exchange to American merchants. Solomon also personally supported various members of the Continental Congress during their stay in Philadelphia, including James Madison and James Wilson. Acting as the patriot he was, he requested below market interest rates, and he never asked for repayment.[8]

Solomon is believed to have granted outright bequests to men he felt were unsung heroes of the Revolution who had become impoverished during the conflict. One example is Dr. Bodo Otto, senior surgeon in the continental army. Dr. Otto joined the army at the age of 65 and served for the entire war. Among other things, he established the hospital at Valley Forge were he often used his own funds to purchase medical supplies. Thanks to Solomon's bequest, Dr. Otto was able to rebuild his medical practice in Reading, Pennsylvania at war's end.

The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the Revolutionary War but not the financial problems of the newly established nation. America's war debt to France was never properly repaid, which started the cascade of events leading to the French Revolution.

Jewish community [edit]
Solomon was involved in Jewish community affairs, being a member of Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia, and in 1782 made the largest individual contribution towards the construction of its main building. In 1783, Solomon was among the prominent Jews involved in the successful effort to have the Pennsylvania Council of Censors remove the religious test oath required for office-holding under the State Constitution. These test laws were originally written to disenfranchise the Quaker majority, but many were caught up in this anti-democratic ploy. It was Solomon's old friend Robert Morris, who actually introduced legislation to end the test laws in Pennsylvania. In 1784, Solomon answered anti-Semitic slander in the press by stating: "I am a Jew; it is my own nation; I do not despair that we shall obtain every other privilege that we aspire to enjoy along with our fellow-citizens."

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Legacy [edit]

The gravesite of Haym Salomon, Mikveh Israel Cemetery is located in the 800-block of Spruce Street in Philadelphia. Though unmarked, there are two plaque memorials. The east wall has a marble tablet that was installed by his great-grandson, William Salomon, and a granite memorial is set inside the cemetery gate. In 1980, the Haym Solomon Lodge #663 of the fraternal organization B'rith Sholom sponsored a memorial in the Mikveh Israel Cemetery on the north side of Spruce Street between 8th and 9th Streets in Philadelphia. A blue ribbon panel and committee, including Robert S. Whitman, Sidney Bruskin and Marvin Abrams, all lodge past presidents, arranged for the renovation of the walls and walkways of the cemetery. They then arranged for and oversaw the installation of a large, engraved memorial marker of Barre Granite just inside the cemetery gates, inscribed "An American Patriot".[10]

Commemoration [edit]
Despite lack of evidence, there is a legend that during the design process of the Great Seal, Washington asked what compensation Solomon wanted for his contributions. He replied that "he wanted nothing for himself but that he wanted something for his people". As a result, the 13 stars representing the colonies on the seal were arranged in the shape of the Star of David.[11] In 1893, a bill was presented before the 52nd United States Congress ordering a gold medal be struck in recognition of Solomon's contributions to the United States. Hollywood saluted Solomon with the 1939 short Sons of Liberty starring Claude Rains as the patriot. (see IMDB under Claude Rains)

In 1941, the writer Howard Fast wrote a book Haym Solomon, Son of Liberty. That same year, the Heald Square Monument, a sculpture designed by Lorado Taft was erected at Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago. Taft began the work but died in 1936. It was completed by his associate, Leonard Crunelle. The monument depicts George Washington flanked by Solomon and Robert Morris and grasping hands with both men.[12]

In 1946, a memorial statue was erected to Solomon at Hollenbeck Park in Los Angeles. The statue was rededicated in 2008 at Pan-Pacific Park in the Fairfax District, where it can be found on the corner of Gardner and Third Street.[13]

In 1975, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Haym Solomon for his contributions to the cause of the American Revolution. This stamp, like others in the "Contributors to the Cause" series, was printed on the front and the back. On the glue side of the stamp, the following words were printed in pale green ink: "Financial Hero—Businessman and broker Haym Solomon was responsible for raising most of the money needed to finance the American Revolution and later to save the new nation from collapse".

[Zelhar]

Chaim Solomon really did meet with Washington... But it appears the medallion was not made till 1893...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haym_Solomon

Chaim Solomon was a big financier, I don't think he was a foot soldier. The thing is you can immediately see that the mindset of character is that of a modern Jew who has very little clue what Judaism is.

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

Okay... what about this one? http://www.fau.edu/library/brody6.htm