On Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., hosted a symposium on Jewish Roots of American Liberty: The Impact of Hebraic Ideas on the American Story (Encounter Books), edited by Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought Deputy Director Dr. Stuart Halpern and Bradley Prize-winning historian Dr. Wilfred McClay.
The event, sponsored by the Academic Engagement Network (AEN), was moderated by Dr. Yisroel Benporat, senior associate for faculty engagement in New York at AEN. It featured brief talks by Jewish Roots contributors Dr. Mark David Hall (Regent University) and Dr. Shaina Trapedo (Yeshiva University), as well as the two editors, centered on their respective contributions to the volume. Dr. McClay discussed the impact the Hebrew Bible has had on American literature, focusing particularly on Nathaniel Hawthorne; Dr. Halpern discussed how the Hebrew Bible’s heroes—including Esther, Moses and Elijah—have helped shape the American concept of courage; Dr. Trapedo recounted the impact of the book of Psalms during the colonial period; and Dr. Hall detailed the roots of religious freedom in America.
The contributors’ remarks were followed by a lively discussion, featuring questions from Dr. Benporat covering the impetus behind the book, how and why American academia today often displays an anti-American slant, and the contributors’ feelings on the term “Judeo-Christian values.”
“Bringing Jewish Roots of American Liberty to as prestigious a setting as the Museum of the Bible was a true honor,” Dr. Halpern remarked after the event. “The opportunity to talk through the book’s themes with the diverse audience members from across the globe was inspiring for all of us, as we together consider the indelible impact the Bible has had on the American experiment, soon to turn 250 years young.”
Click here to learn more about Jewish Roots of America Liberty: The Impact of the Hebraic Ideas on the American Story.
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