Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Salomon. WAIT. SALOMON WHO?

You know their names, their stories, and their contributions, and well you should: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, James Monroe, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and the list continues. In fact, there are about 200 persons who comprise the list of Founding Fathers. We thank God for every one of them and the sacrifice they made for us.
 
However, there is one you likely do not know. And he sacrificed all of his wealth and even his life in the cause. Yet 99.999% of Americans have never heard his name. To understand why he has been forgotten, click here. (To see the chronology of his life, click here and then click on the button which says “The Chronology of His Life.”)

Who is he? His name is Haym Salomon. He singlehandedly – well, almost singlehandedly – financed the American Revolution, and after that, the young nation. If you want to whole story right now, watch Wednesday night’s World Prayer Network here: WPN Call 547.

He was not only an economic genius, but he spoke eight different languages – Polish, German, French, Italian, Russian, English, Hebrew and Yiddish, and possibly two more, Dutch and Spanish, for a total of 10 languages. This was inexplicable given the fact that Jews at that time in Poland where he was raised were prohibited from attending university.

In 1781, the British were winning. They had taken New York City and New Jersey. General Washington’s troops were deserting. They had no money. No food. No ammo. They were done. The Thirteen Colonies were about to lose.
 
It was then that General George Washington uttered to Robert Morris those four words which changed history, “Send for Haym Salomon.” 
 
There are variations of what happened next. One of the accounts is that Robert Morris went right to Haym Salomon at his Mikveh Israel Synagogue (the oldest in Philadelphia and the 2nd oldest in America) during Yom Kippur. Jews cannot transact business on shabbat or on high holy days, unless…unless it will save a life. According to this particular account, Haym Salomon raised $20,000 (a staggering sum in 1781) on the spot, saved Washington’s army, and the Patriots won the battle which was the turning point of the entire Revolutionary War. 
 
Even if the story of the synagogue and Yom Kippur is not accurate in every single detail, we do know that Haym Salomon did fund $20,000 at that desperate moment, and then went on to fund $650,000 to keep the new nation and the Continental Congress functioning. It has been said that from 1781 to 1784, he funded up to as much as $25 billion in today’s dollars.
 
However, this is where the story becomes sad. Haym Salomon died young, at age 44, from tuberculosis he contracted while imprisoned by the British. The American government, which owed him billions in today’s dollars, never paid him back. Nor his widow. Nor his children. They petitioned the government repeatedly. Congress agreed that they owed it, but they never paid the debt. The Salomon family all died penniless, in poverty. 
 
If you want a 90 second version of his life, check this out: Watch Here.
 
Haym Salomon is the Jew who saved America. Without him, you would not be living in America as we now know it. That is not hyperbole. I am not being melodramatic. That is fact. 
 
Why are we telling his story now? For starters, it is our 250th birthday as a nation. We will be honoring many who made America possible. Haym Salomon should be “front and center” with all the others. 
 
Secondly, about 100 years ago, in the 1920s, Congress made some overtures to honor him with a statue. They never followed through. Now is the time. We believe Congress needs to erect a statue in his honor. Now. This year. 
 
May we ask you to stop now and call (202) 224-3121 and speak, one at a time, to the offices of both of your Senators and your House Representative, and simply say, “We request that the Congress fund a statue to Haym Salomon, the Jewish man who funded the American Revolution and the Continental Congress. He was never repaid for his loans. The least we could do is to have a statue in Washington, DC honoring him.”
 
Thirdly, in this era of antisemitism, and Jew-hatred, it is important for every American to know that it is really true that “a Jew saved America.”

Rosemary has been telling the Haym Salomon story for 15 or maybe 20 years. Jim has been telling it for a dozen years. An Oklahoma artist – a brilliant sculptor – has been wanting to do a project honoring Haym Salomon for nine years. 
 
Well Versed, working with our very close friend and Sculptor Scott Stearman, has designed a statue in Salomon’s honor. We want to encourage you to purchase one. The 11 inch tall statue can adorn your home and be a conversation starter to tell his story. Your donation to Well Versed will make it possible for us to help lead the charge to try to get Congress to acknowledge Haym Salomon with a full sized statue in Washington DC. Is it doable to get a statue erected? We don’t know. But we are committed to trying our best. We invite you to honor Haym Salomon (even if it is 250 years late) by purchasing his statue here which helps us lead this endeavor. 
 
As a side note, Jim and Rosemary are taking sculptures of Haym Salomon, presenting them to high level officials in the Israeli government, in the next few days.

If you would like a thorough explanation of his life, here is a 90 minute audio/video version. It is superb. (Note: Since AI apparently did the transcription, there are some words which are wrong. For example, “Haym Salomon” gets transcribed as “James Salomon,” which, of course, was not his name. Other than that, this is highly informative. Be sure to watch the final 20 minutes.)

Click here to hear from the Sculptor as he tells why he designed the statue the way he did: WPN Call 547 (Scott Stearman).

Click here to hear the comments from Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian, who is the rabbi at Mikveh Israel, the synagogue founded in 1740 where Haym Salomon was a prominent member. WPN Call 547 (Rabbi Yosef Zarnighian)

(Note: This was taped as he was leaving a military base at midnight, when he got off duty as a military chaplain, while he drove home.)

Click here to hear what it means to the Jewish community for us as Christian evangelicals to care about the story of the forgotten Haym Salomon, from the Dean of Community at Yeshiva University in New York City, Ari Rockoff: WPN Call 547 (Rabbi Ari Rockoff).
 
Once again, would you consider helping Well Versed lead the cause to see Haym Salomon properly honored by purchasing a statue of him, or making a donation here.
 
And please remember to call your Senators and your Representative at (202) 224-3121.

Consider giving a tax-deductible donation to Well Versed, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, to continue bringing biblical principles of governance to government leaders and YOU!