In case you were wondering how this blog got its name, it represents the curious confluence of our university’s namesake, the prophet Micah and American Jewry. All three came together in a letter penned by George Washington in 1790 to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, in which he assured them, and by extension, the small American Jewish community of the 18th century, of his commitment—and that of the new nation—to religious liberty.
Elaborating on Micah’s words, Washington wrote: “May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants, while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”
I hope that thought, ripe with expectation, will animate this blog and resonate with its readers.
