Sinai and Civics Press Release

New Course Explores the Jewish Values That Shaped America’s Founding Ideals
Sinai and Civics explores the Torah’s surprising role in America’s founding ideals, just in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary

(Coral Gables)— Chabad of Coral Gables has announced a four-session course, Sinai and Civics: How Jewish Values Helped Shape America’s Founding Ideals, beginning Wednesday, June 10, 7:30 pm at Chabad, 1827 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables. The program is offered through the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI).

On July 4, 2026, the United States turns 250. Most Americans will celebrate. Fewer will know that when Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams were appointed to design the first national seal in 1776, they proposed an image of Moses parting the Red Sea, with the motto: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to G‑d.” They wanted the face of the new nation to be a scene from Exodus.

Sinai and Civics follows that thread. The four-session course traces the influence of the Hebrew Bible on America’s founding (from the Mayflower Compact to the Declaration of Independence to the structure of the Constitution) and asks what that history means for Jewish Americans today.

“Most people have no idea how directly the founders drew on the Jewish tradition,” says Rabbi Avraham Stolik, who is gearing up to teach the course. “They were reading it, quoting it, and using it as a model for the kind of country they wanted to build. In this course, we’ll look at the primary sources together, and it’s a lot more specific than people expect.”

“The great American historian Perry Miller once said that the Bible was ‘the air people breathed’ in early American culture,” says Professor Jonathan D. Sarna, PhD, of Brandeis University. “Sinai and Civics underscores the profound interrelationship between Judaism and America’s founding ideals.”

Rabbi Stolik says it’s an eye-opening realization, especially for American Jews at a time of rising uncertainty. “Once you understand how the founders thought,” he says, “you stop asking whether you belong here. The answer becomes obvious.”

The course is open to participants of all backgrounds. No prior knowledge of Jewish studies is required.

Sinai and Civics is CLE accredited for attorneys in the state of Florida and in most U.S. states.

Details:
Course: Sinai and Civics
This course will satisfy the continuing education (CLE) requirements of lawyers and legal professionals in the state of Florida.
Dates: Four Wednesdays beginning June 10, 7:30-8:30 pm
Location: Chabad of Coral Gables, 1827 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables
Instructor: Rabbi Avraham Stolik
Registration: ChabadGables.com/JLI or contact [email protected]/call 305-490-7572 for inquiries.
Cost: $79, includes student textbook. Some scholarships available upon request.
All are welcome. No prior knowledge required.

About JLI: The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute is the world’s largest network of Jewish adult education, offering courses at over 1,600 locations in more than 900 communities worldwide. JLI courses are open to all, regardless of background or affiliation.