54 | JULY 4 • 2024
J
N
Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at thejewishnews.com
America’s
Independence Day
T
his week’s JN is published on July
4th, Independence Day, the day to
celebrate the birth of the United States
of America and what might be called the
“Great American Experiment.” Citizens of
Great Britain’s 13 colonies on the Atlantic
coast of North America
declared their independence as
a separate and free nation in
1776. Likewise, these founders
established the colonies’
inhabitants as a distinct people:
Americans.
Since the American
Revolution, over the past 248
years, the U.S. has grown into the most
powerful nation on Earth, a social-economic
dynamo with a record of success that is
unmatched in world history. There has been
tremendous progress along the way, but
there are still many serious social-political
issues to be dealt with.
Sometimes, if one reads current daily
news, it does seem as if we’ve regressed.
There are “cultural divides” and the “haves
and the have nots.” National politics
are often venal, featuring the type of
demagogues that the founders of America
feared. Antisemitism, thought to be subdued
after the Holocaust, is once again on the rise.
Seeking a bit of solace, I wondered what
the JN had to say about the meaning of July
4th. More than 2,200 pages of the William
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit
History refer to Independence Day (note:
some of the pages after 1948
refer to Israeli independence);
July 4th is cited over 600
times. Overall, there is some
real wisdom on these pages,
reminding us that this holiday is
indeed a time for celebration of,
and reflection about, our nation.
For one example, I found that
the Independence Day editorial
for 1943, written during the dark days of
World War II, had a poignant message (July
2, 1943, JN). It begins “July Fourth this
year challenges all Americans to make the
day one of true Independence. Americans
must free themselves of all prejudices.” This
message is still an urgent one today.
The front page of the June 29, 1951, issue
of the JN has an interesting headline: “To a
baby born July 4th, 1951.” The brief essay
on the cover begins with a question: “What
kind of a world have we shoved you into?”
It notes the perils facing America and what
citizens must do to protect freedoms earned.
Not unlike today.
I found Sheldon Engelmayer’s essay in
the June 28, 1991, JN to be more uplifting.
“For Jews, The Special Meaning of July
4th” makes the point that “this is not a
perfect nation because people are not
perfect.” But, despite the fact that “hatred
and discrimination still linger,” Engelmayer
concludes, “we are free to live as Jews and
still be equal partners in the American
Dream.”
The editorial for July 4th in 1992 was
“Take July 4th Personally When It Comes
to Freedom” (July 3, 1992). It noted that
50 years prior, the JN wrote that 700,000
Jews had been murdered by the Nazis, and
that those “European Jews had an intimate
understanding of words like ‘freedom’ and
‘independence.’” It recommended, “Teach
your children that this American holiday is
more than a fireworks display.”
In short, the July 4th holiday is a reminder
that the “American Experiment” is still
ongoing, still a work in progress, but its
achievements are worthy of celebration.
While not perfect, America is a good place
to live.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives,
available for free at thejewishnews.com.
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair