US flags. Photo: Lipton sale via Wikimedia Commons.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (CoP) issued a Fourth of July message on Friday, recalling the important part Jews in the US have played in the country’s 244-year history.

“Each year on the Fourth of July, Americans commemorate the anniversary of our independence,” CoP Chairman Arthur Stark, chairman, CEO William Daroff and Vice Chair Malcolm Hoenlein said. “244 years ago in a time of tyranny, our Founders established a nation rooted in the revolutionary idea of freedom and equality for all. Our country was born out of this dream, a dream we must never cease in striving to make a reality.”

“As we celebrate another birthday of our precious democracy, we cannot forget that the greatness of America rests in its citizens,” they noted. “We have come this far as a nation by remaining united and steadfast in the face of adversity, and we must always ensure that we are a beacon of freedom to the world.”

“Our Founders, who were people of abiding faith, drew from Jewish values in creating our country,” the statement added. “Values such as individual responsibility, the importance of welcoming the stranger, and the need for repairing the world. The Jewish people came to America, a land of liberty, fleeing persecution. We were in bondage in Egypt, and suffered pogroms in Europe that would culminate in the horrors of the Holocaust. In America the Jewish community found relief from oppression, achieving success in all facets of life and playing a key role in furthering the progress of our republic, helping to build a better and more just society. We will continue to do so for generations to come.”

The US Jewish leaders concluded: “This July 4th, let us be grateful for the many blessings we enjoy while knowing we must always aspire to be a more perfect union. To all our friends across America, Happy Independence Day.”

Also on Friday, the US Embassy in Israel published a video marking the holiday.

It tweeted, “While it is not possible to have our usual, grand celebration for Independence Day this year, we asked @USAmbIsrael and the Embassy community to share their personal celebrations with us. Wishing all Americans in Israel, and around the world a happy and healthy Fourth of July!”

While it is not possible to have our usual, grand celebration for Independence Day this year, we asked @USAmbIsrael and the Embassy community to share their personal celebrations with us.
Wishing all Americans in Israel, and around the world a happy and healthy Fourth of July! pic.twitter.com/sa71lDpVUE

— USEmbassyJerusalem (@usembassyjlm) July 3, 2020

Meanwhile the Israeli Embassy in the US tweeted, “Happy #FourthofJuly and #ShabbatShalom from the Embassy of Israel!”

Happy #FourthofJuly and #ShabbatShalom from the Embassy of Israel! pic.twitter.com/2BUiYq0NeC

— Embassy of Israel (@IsraelinUSA) July 3, 2020