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God bless America.
What a beautiful song. Who wrote this
song? What are its origin?
Did you know that this song was written
by a Jewish composer?
His name is Isaac Berlin, born in 1888.
And in 1918 is when he wrote the song.
It was revised in 1938
when it was first presented and became a
theme song for America.
God bless America. Did you know that it
was written by a Jewish composer? His
name was Israel Berlin.
but later on changed his name to Irving
Berlin. But did you know that God bless
America was written by a Jew by the name
of Israel?
What is the significance of it?
Well, this these days when anti-semitism
is on the rise, when people are
criticizing the Jewish people and Israel
for no other reason than baseless
hatred.
Have you been aware of the Jewish
contribution to America? Are you aware
of what Judaism
has brought to America? Our founding
fathers
when they established the United States
of America, it was all based on the
Torah. There are many Hebrew
inscriptions throughout landmarks in the
United States of America.
George Washington
when he
led the war,
his financer was none other than Kaim
Solomon
who financed the war so that George
Washington would be able to give us what
we have today.
As a matter of fact,
after the victory, George Washington
wanted to reward Mr. Khaim Solomon that
he was going to
put on the American flag,
the Jewish stars.
That's how the United States of America
was going to be depictked in the flag
with Jewish stars. However, the cabinet
did not approve it, but he still
insisted that it happens and they put
the Israeli star on the American dollar.
And if you look on top of the pyramid,
there is the Hebrew star there, the star
of David. Well, this is just part of the
Jewish contribution to America.
Today we sing God bless America.
But let's think about the author of this
song, Mr. Irving Berlin.
Irving Berlin grew up in Russia,
immigrated to New York to America.
He came to the shores of America
after seeing all this suffering that we
have suffered throughout the millennes
of America with nothing and became a
person
and he felt as all Jews that come to
America
it's not about what we can take from
America. America. But what can we give
to America? What can we contribute to
America?
And there's no question about it. If you
go down the list of inventors,
the list of the Nobel Prize winners
from the Jewish nation, it far far
outnumbers
compared to other ethnicities.
It's because
we as a Jewish people have been brought
up with the words of gratitude and
thanks.
Do you know that in the Jewish world
when we wake up in the morning
the very first words that comes out of
our mouth is thank you. Our religion is
based on gratitude and thanks
both to the creator and to the world.
Yes. When our eyes open up, when we
become when we wake up from
unconsciousness sleep, the very first
words that's in our prayer book that
we're supposed to utter is modi, I
thanks. I give thanks. Who do I give
thanks? I thank you for God for giving
me my soul. Once again, there are 12
words in this beautiful prayer, but it's
the concept of starting your day off
with being grateful and thanks.
July 4th is Independence Day.
And we think about how America has
become truly a home not only to the
Jewish people after the Holocaust, but
for so many who had to flee their
countries who they have been tormented
and tortured and killed and murdered and
massacred. And United States of America
opened its doors and to welcome us to
have a fresh start. And that idea of
giving everyone a second chance is so
paramount
in the founding fathers of America is to
give everyone a chance and a chance to
not just come to America to see what
America could give you but what you can
give America.
So today we pay tribute to Mr. Irving
Berlin, who was born in 1888,
who gave us the song God Bless America
that we still sing till today.
When President Trump
sent the B2 bombers
to Iran with an unprecedented shown of
force of the United States of America to
obliv to obliterate the evil
of the nuclear program in Iran. When the
B2 bombers came back, President Trump
held a press conference.
And at the press conference he paid
tribute to God and he thanked God
realizing that without God's blessing we
could have never done this. And that is
the words of God bless America. We need
to remember that God gave the world
America as a gift. God gave America and
its freedoms and its liberties and its
democracy
as a blessing to the world. And in the
last 250 plus years, look what we have
contributed to the world. In our
calendar, the world lives 5,785
years.
And here in the last 270 years, look
what we have been able to accomplish.
Look what we have been able to
contribute to the world, to humanity.
Look how we were able to eradicate
hunger. Look at the inventions in all
areas of technology, of agriculture, of
medicine, of education, the ability to
be a superpower to help the world and to
assist the world wherever it needs be.
And this is God bless America. So, as
Americans, we need to stand tall and be
proud, but as Americans, we also need to
be able to thank God every single day
and keep God in our world. There are
forces that are trying to take God out
of our public schools, out of our public
areas, trying to erase God from our
midst. But we need to not forget it is
God's grace and God's blessings that
gave us to what we have today. And
singing this song, God bless America.
Think of it. This came from a fellow
American who is also Jewish and his name
was Israel. Now you know the rest of the
story. Now you know the Jewish
relationship with America is a a
relationship of gratitude of thanks.
It's a relationship of what can the
Jewish people give to America. And we
have not been shy. We have given to
America so much that America is able to
give to the world. We continuously grow
and thrive to give whatever we can.
3,337
years ago, God gave the Jewish people a
mandate. You be a light unto the
nations. Whoever you bless will be
blessed. That is your job. We as a
Jewish people,
we were given this task and we try to
fulfill to our best. Against all odds,
we have survived the worst persecutions
any religion, any group has survived. We
are so few in numbers, we are less than
2% of the population. But yet we seem to
find a way to always land on our feet
and continue on being a light unto the
nations. So next time you are faced with
anti-semitism, the next time
anti-semitism shows its ugly face to
you, remind
those what the Jewish people have
contributed to America. And remind those
that anti-semitism has no place in
America, has no place amidst us, but
truly be grateful and recognize what
Jews have contributed to America and
will continue contribute. May God help
us eradicate anti-semitism.
May we all learn to appreciate each
other's contributions to society. May we
all be grateful to God and truly
remember, God bless America. God bless
you. God loves you.