This month we celebrate 250 years of American independence, but few are aware that without the efforts of one unsung Jewish hero, the Revolution might never have succeeded. Unlike other Founders remembered for their glorious courage in battle, eloquent rallying cries, or determined leadership, this immigrant distinguished himself without such splendor, enabling all their heroics quietly in the background. His name was Haym Salomon, a proud patriot who financed the birth of America, motivated by the hope that his Jewish people could finally find liberty. In this article, we honor him by recounting his life and invaluable service to our nation.

Haym Salomon was likely born around 1740 in a Polish town called Lissa, as a descendant of Sephardic Jews who had fled the Inquisition. As a young man, Salomon left home to travel through several European countries doing commerce, acquiring two crucial skills which would define his life: an adept knowledge of business and finance, and fluency in several languages. In 1772, Salomon settled as a broker in New York where the conflict between Britain and her colonies was already simmering. Soon, he joined the patriot resistance group, the Sons of Liberty.

When the war began in 1776 and the British occupied New York, Salomon was charged as a spy and arrested. Upon discovering his skill in languages, the British paroled him on the condition that he would work as an interpreter for their hired German mercenaries. Salomon, however, used this position to clandestinely persuade Germans to desert the British, while also assisting in the escape of American prisoners. In 1778, after again being arrested, convicted of espionage, and sentenced to death, Salomon managed to bribe a British guard and flee to the safety of American-controlled Philadelphia.

Salomon had already proven his bravery and patriotism, but in Philadelphia, he would provide his most significant contribution to the cause. The Continental Congress was deep in debt, and without funds to pay the troops and buy equipment, the army might dissolve. The American leadership desperately turned to Salomon, who, thanks to his past experience with European governments, was one of the few brokers who could quickly procure foreign loans and convert them to American currency. He did this service at his own expense and extended much personal credit to the war effort, ultimately supplying over $650,000 to the fledgling American government—equivalent today to about $20 million. Notably, Salomon supplied the crucial capital necessary for General Washington to fight the battle of Yorktown in 1781, which became the decisive victory for American independence.

Beyond his fervent American loyalties, Haym Salomon was also proud of his Jewish heritage and worked to champion Jewish causes. As of 1782, the small Jewish community in Philadelphia had no meeting house, so Salomon donated a third of the funds needed to build their first synagogue. The next year, he helped petition against a clause in the Pennsylvania constitution barring Jews from the state legislature. And in a letter published in 1784, Salomon spoke out against public antisemitism in the press, refuting accusations that Jewish brokers were manipulating banks to charge extortionate interest rates. He declared that he was a proud Jew and a proud American, honored by the protections given to his people in this free country. With absolute confidence, Salomon proclaimed that Jews would overcome every remaining obstacle to obtain all the same rights and privileges as their fellow citizens.

In America, Haym Salomon recognized the beginnings of a truly free nation, where Jews would one day be not only safe, but equal with their fellow countrymen. On the whole European continent—even in the relative refuge of Poland—Jews had been second-class citizens at best, whose security was often in question. Despite any difficulties, Salomon believed that America was the first place in centuries where Jews would be able to live normal lives—the kind of life every free man is entitled to—while still living as a Jew.

By early 1785, Salomon’s health rapidly declined due to a worsening cough contracted years prior in the British prison. He died in his forties, having never been repaid for the vast sums he had loaned to the American cause, leaving his estate penniless. He did not live to see the drafting of the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights, and for decades, his immense contributions were nearly forgotten.

In many ways, Salomon was never compensated for devoting his life to American independence. But through his labors, his singular goal was realized: for 250 years, Jews have lived as equal citizens of the American people, with the freedom to serve their God—and even to embrace their Messiah—without being compelled to abandon their Jewish identity and practice. This freedom will survive only as long as men are bold enough to stand, as Salomon did, for America and for the Jewish people against the forces of tyranny and hate. Surely, that is the least we can do to repay the Jew who saved America, and all the men who secured our liberty.

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