washington | A century ago, it was Theodore Roosevelt; a half a century ago, it was Dwight D. Eisenhower. Last week, it was President Bush’s turn to pay tribute to Jewish life in North America, and to be honored in return.
This month culminated a yearlong commemoration of American Jewish life that began last September with the 350th anniversary of the arrival of the first 23 Jews on the shores of what would become the United States. Bush was the featured speaker at a national celebratory dinner in Washington last week.
“The story of the Jewish people in America is a story of America itself,” Bush said at the invitation-only program held at the National Building Museum in Washington.
Some 900 people from 26 states attended the black-tie event, which was co-hosted by Celebrate 350: Jewish Life in America and the Commission for Commemorating 350 Years of American Jewish History. Bush received the Celebrate 350 Gold Medal. The Emma Lazarus Statue of Liberty Award, meanwhile, went to former New York City Mayor Edward Koch. Posters along the large hall’s perimeter dealt with such themes as Jews in sports, education and social justice.
Prior to the dinner, Bush made a brief stop at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, his first visit as president to a synagogue. There, he signed a guest book, writing, “May God continue to bless the Children of Abraham.”
In his dinner address, Bush called the shul-turned-church-turned-nondenominational synagogue “a jewel.” He also praised the American Jewish community, stressed his commitment to Israel and argued for faith-based initiatives.
“We’re a better and stronger and freer nation because so many Jews from countries all over the world have chosen to become American citizens,” said Bush, who also noted that “from the onset, the Jews who arrived here demonstrated a deep commitment to their new land.”