From Exile to Freedom: Sephardic Jews and the Making of America

About the program:

As America marks its 250th anniversary, Jewish Heritage Alliance is pleased to announce an upcoming national program exploring the remarkable role Sephardic Jews played in the nation's early history and their contribution to the foundations of American religious liberty.

The program traces the arc from the Expulsion from Spain and the Portuguese Inquisition to the emergence of the Sephardic diaspora across the Atlantic world and their eventual settlement in colonial America. It highlights how these early communities helped lay the foundations for religious liberty, civic engagement, commerce, and the pluralistic ideals that would become central to the American experiment.

Through the stories of pioneering families and leaders—including Jonas and Rebecca Machado Phillips, Mordecai Noah, and others—the discussion follows the evolution of Jewish life from the colonial period through the founding of the Republic and into modern America.

The program also addresses the enduring challenge of antisemitism. By placing historical and contemporary manifestations of anti-Jewish prejudice in dialogue, the conversation frames today’s concerns within a broader historical continuum—highlighting both the obstacles faced and the resilience, contributions, and civic commitment of Jewish communities.

Ultimately, the program presents the American Jewish experience as a journey of exile and renewal, challenge and opportunity, and the ongoing pursuit of freedom—from Sefarad to America at 250.

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION:

Mr. Michael Steinberger, Founder and CEO of the Jewish Heritage Alliance (JHA), Mr. Steinberger will introduce the America 250: The Jewish Journey from Sefarad to the Present initiative and provide an overview of the historical significance and objectives of the program.

SPEAKERS – PRESENTERS:  

Dr. Jonathan D. Sarna: Dr. Jonathan D. Sarna is University Professor and the Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History and Director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University. Widely regarded as one of the nation's foremost historians of American Jewry, he is the past president of the Association for Jewish Studies and served as Chief Historian for the 350th anniversary commemoration of Jewish life in America. He is also Chief Historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Sarna is the author of numerous acclaimed books and articles on American Jewish history, religion, and culture, and is recognized internationally as one of the leading scholars in the field.

Mr. Keith Stokes: Keith Stokes was recently named Rhode Island’s Historian Laureate, a role in which he will deliver lectures at official state events and promote civics education across the state. He currently serves as Director of the Rhode Island Division of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and is a ninth-generation Rhode Islander. He is a former Newport City Councilor and consulting historian for the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and has held leadership roles across numerous regional and national institutions, including the Touro Synagogue Foundation, the Preservation Society of Newport County, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Professor Paul Finkelman: is an expert in legal and constitutional history, constitutional law, freedom of religion, the law of slavery, civil liberties, American Jewish history and the American Civil War. He has written extensively on Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. He is the past president of Gratz College in Philadelphia. He was the chief expert witness in the Alabama Ten Commandments monument case and his scholarship on religious monuments in public spaces was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Van Orden v. Perry (2005).  Dr. Finkelman is the author of more than 225 scholarly articles and over 50 books. His writing has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Jewish Review of Books, USA Today, Washington Monthly, Slate, and Huffington Post. The U.S. Supreme Court has cited his work in seven cases.

Dr. Michael Hoberman is Professor of American Literature at Fitchburg State University and an adjunct professor of history at Yeshiva University. He is the author of New Israel/New England: Jews and Puritans in Early America and Imagining Early American Jews (Oxford University Press, 2025) and has published widely in both academic and public-facing venues. He is a recipient of fellowships from the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and is a former Fulbright Senior Scholar. His work focuses on Jewish life in early America and the intersections of religion, culture, and identity in the colonial and early national periods. His current book, The John Muir Trail’s Jewish Founder: The Uplifted World of Theodore Solomons, will be published in 2027 by the University of California Press.

EVENT PARTNERS:

CO-SPONSOR

Assisting in underwriting the cost of the event:

Congregation Mikveh Israel—founded in 1740 and known as the Synagogue of the American Revolution—is one of America's oldest Jewish congregations and occupies a central place in the history of Sephardic Jews and the development of religious liberty in the United States.

CO-HOSTING PARTNER
Assisting in promoting this event:

Jewish Virtual Library is one of the world's leading online resources on Jewish history, culture, Israel, and Jewish-American life, providing authoritative educational content to millions of readers, students, educators, and researchers worldwide.

PROMOTONAL PARTNERS 

Assisting in promoting this event:

• Greater Miami Jewish Federation
• Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE)
• ANU Museum of the Jewish People
• Jewish Unity Through Diversity
• European Jewish Community Centre (EJCC)
• Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO)
• Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies (SCJS)
• Mattathias
• Kulanu Canada
• Ahavat Torah Congregation

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