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A Jewish way to mark the 250th: A close reading of America’s ‘sacred’ texts

JL;DR SUMMARY In anticipation of America’s 250th birthday, religious groups are reevaluating foundational American documents through a Jewish lens. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish IdentityInterfaith DialogueJewish StudyCivic EngagementEqualityPardes InstituteDeclaration Of IndependenceAmerican ValuesRabbi Michael HolzmanFaith250

Places mentioned

Washington D.C., Washington DC, United States
"Fireworks, parades, maybe a mixed martial arts smackdown on the White House lawn?"
Israel
"Although some Jewish scholars insist on the Hebraic echoes in the American political tradition, the Pardes project isnt out to prove that America is founded on Jewish ideas."
Reston, Virginia, United States
"Holzman, a rabbi of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation in Reston, Virginia, insists it is."
Jerusalem, Israel
"A Jerusalem-based yeshiva and an interfaith project started by a rabbi are suggesting a similar idea: a little learning."
Fairfax Station, Virginia, United States
"A Faith250 cluster studies Americas founding texts at St. Peters in the Woods Episcopal Church in Fairfax Station, Virginia, April 22, 2026."

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Cairo Item ID 84249
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Retrieved 2026-06-07 18:00:37 UTC
Curated 2026-06-07 19:00:45 UTC