‘We the People’

By TEDDY WEINBERGER
In honor of the Fourth of July, I want to consider peoplehood in America and then add some thoughts concerning Israel..

Peoplehood was enshrined as an American value in “We the People of the United States,” the opening of the Preamble to the Constitution, written in 1787. And yet, at the time, other than Native Americans – who, paradoxically, were not considered to be part of “we the people” – everyone in America was from an immigrant family (voluntary or involuntary). This means when we speak about peoplehood in America, it is a different kind of peoplehood than, say, peoplehood in France or Spain or Italy.

For help in this matter, I called upon Brooks Holifield, professor emeritus at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Holifield is author of seven books and dozens of articles about American religious history and my teacher in a course about American theology way back in spring 1985. (I got an A-.)

Prof. Holifield wrote to me that, as opposed to Europe where people are “the descendants of generations who had occupied the land since time immemorial,” in America, “peoplehood could not be a matter of historic antiquity. Gradually, it had to emerge as a result of adherence to certain ideals.”

The ideals changed over time, but still the ideals defined the people: freedom, property, right to happiness, equality of opportunity. These and others were “expected” of “real Americans.”

I understood from Holifield’s words that what might have been considered a disadvantage for American peoplehood turned into a blessing. That is, while no American (other than the indigenous peoples) can speak with deep appreciation for hundreds and hundreds of years of personal family history in a particular place in America, is precisely because American peoplehood is built upon ideals it could expand as ideals of equality expanded.

“We the people” now includes (something that was not the case in 1787) men and women, people of all “colors” and all religions, landowners and the landless, the poor and the mentally and the physically challenged.

I wondered about peoplehood in America today, when a good many people who live in “red” states seem to have so little in common with a good many people who live in “blue” states.

Holifield told me: “A nation built on ideals is always fragile and, today, people in different regions, who understand the ideals in their own way, make occasional noise about separating from the nation and forming another one. But this also happens elsewhere.

“Continual displays of patriotism at sporting events, public gatherings, religious assemblies and holidays suggest that the ‘sense’ of nationhood still has power among the mass of Americans. These ‘sentiments,’ which wax and wane in strength, define the American ‘people’ as much as geographical borders.”

In Israel, which defines itself as a Jewish, democratic state, the notion of peoplehood includes ethnicity, as it does in most countries in the world. Because of this, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, during the celebrations over the course of this past Israeli Independence Day, could wish a happy holiday to “the people of Israel” (rather than “the State of Israel”).

How are citizens who are not of “the people of Israel” supposed to feel when they hear their prime minister speak like this, considering more than 20% of Israel’s population is Arab? Given these citizens are living in the Middle East’s only democracy – especially pertinent for Arab women – and given Israel’s relatively high standard of living and “happiness” ranking, I think they should be OK with this.

To get back to the upcoming American holiday, I’ll close here with a last remark from my dear professor:

“All we can say is that the Americans have stuck together, despite their intense battles, for over two centuries, and as long as the economy works, I think it will continue to maintain itself.”

Amen and have a Happy Fourth of July.

Copyright 2022, Teddy Weinberger