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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/38441/full/38441/on-july-4-this-year-give-a-cheer-for-the-red-white-and-jew/ <br /><br /> <b>On July 4 this year, give a cheer for the red, white and Jew</b> <br /> Thursday, June 25, 2009 | by edmon j. rodman <br /><br /><p>Red, white and bluish … and Jewish. The Fourth of July this year falls on Shabbat.</p> <p>Whether you spend the day in synagogue, at the park, with your feet up on a recliner or barbecuing in the yard, you can bring a Jewish spark or two to the day.</p> <p>We know the Jewish words of independence and freedom are inscribed all about us, notably the inscription from Leviticus on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, “Proclaim liberty throughout the land,” and Jewish poet Emma Lazarus’ words on the base of the Statue of Liberty, “Send us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses …”</p> <p>But on this day of national unity, what does the siddur have to say about blessing our government? Are there Jewish sacrifices for democracy that have been overlooked?</p> <p>Here are eight Jewish connections to our national day of independence. Think about them to light a Jewish fuse this Fourth.</p> <p> <div class="capDivLeft" style="width: 216px;"><img alt="CELrodmanCaptain America" class="left" height="324" src="http://www.jweekly.com/images/uploads/z_photos_2009/y06_26_09/CELrodmanCaptain America.jpg" title="Captain America isn’t Jewish, but two Jews created him in 1941. photo/ap/marvel comics" width="216" /> <div class="caption">Captain America isn’t Jewish, but two Jews created him in 1941. photo/ap/marvel comics</div> </div> </p> <p><strong>HAYM SOLOMON</strong></p> <p>Solomon (1740-1785), a Philadelphia Jew and the  son of a Polish rabbi, helped finance the Revolutionary War and supported George Washington’s army through the sale of Bills of Exchange. He also extended interest-free personal loans to members of Congress, including James Madison.</p> <p><br /><strong>CAPTAIN AMERICA</strong></p> <p>The red, white and blue Marvel comic book hero was created by two Jews, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. During World War II this super patriot, dressed in the elements of a U.S. flag and wielding a shield that can be thrown as a weapon, stands with the Allies in battling the Nazis.</p> <p><br /><strong>KABBALISTIC KABOOM</strong></p> <p>A sky full of colored sparks: Are they simply Fourth of July pyrotechnics, or can they be bright reminders of kabbalistic thought? As things are popping around and above, why not let the sparks lift you to the world of the Zohar and its view of the divine sparks that need to be gathered in order to create tikkun olam.</p> <p><br /><strong>JEWISH SONGWRITERS</strong></p> <p>We all know that Irving Berlin wrote “God Bless America.” Randy Newman wrote the satirical “Follow the Flag,” as well as “Political Science,” a song in which America drops the “big one” on just about everyone.</p> <p><br /><strong>NO SWEAT(SHOP)</strong></p> <p>To celebrate this day of freedom, think about wearing a sweatshop-free T-shirt. Jews have a history of working in sweatshops; can’t we direct our clothing expenditures elsewhere? The Progressive Jewish Alliance promotes sweatshop-free garments through a Kosher Clothes campaign in schools, and publishes “No Shvitz: Your One-Stop Guide to Fighting Sweatshops.”</p> <p><strong><br />LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF TORAH</strong></p> <p>Many siddurs include a prayer for the government or country based on the prophet Jeremiah’s “seek the welfare of the city where I have caused you to be exiled,” as well as the Pirkei Avot’s advice to “pray for the welfare of the government.” A version in Siddur Sim Shalom, based on a text by Louis Ginzberg, reads in part, “Teach them insights for your Torah that they may administer all affairs of state fairly, that peace and security, happiness and prosperity, justice and freedom may forever abide in our midst.”</p> <p><strong><br />ISRAEL’S FAVORITE FRUIT</strong></p> <p>Where does that nice cold slice of July 4 watermelon come from? In Israel, from the time of the Ottoman Empire until now, growing watermelons has been an important enterprise. Today, watermelons are grown primarily for export. Still, according to Ynetnews.com, the average Israeli consumes almost 40 pounds of watermelon a year.</p> <p><strong><br />18 JEWISH HEROES</strong></p> <p>Eighteen Jews are among the 3,400 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest honor for military service. The most recent, Tibor Rubin, received the honor in 1999 for courageous service during the Korean War. Now in his 80s, the Hungarian-born Rubin speaks across the country, wanting Americans to remember that in times of war, “Jews were there, too.”</p> <p><br /><strong>Edmon J. Rodman</strong> is a Los Angeles writer and designer. He wrote this piece for JTA.</p>

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