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"Religious Liberty"
"Religious
Liberty" was commissioned by B'nai B'rith and dedicated in 1876 to "the
people of the United States" as an expression of support for the
constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.
Created by Sir Moses Jacob Ezekiel, the first American Jewish sculptor
to gain international prominence, the 25-foot marble monument was
carved in Italy and shipped to Fairmount Park in Philadelphia for the
nation's Centennial Exposition.
"Religious Liberty" is an allegorical work of monumental scale. The
sculpture symbolizes Republican Freedom, represented by a classical
female figure. Her head is crowned by a Phrygian cap with a border of
thirteen stars, referring to the original Thirteen Colonies. In her
left hand, this imposing Genius of Religious Liberty clutches the
scrolled Constitution of the United States, the legal instrument by
which social equality and freedom of conscience are assured. Her right
arm is raised protectively over the Genius of Faith, a handsome youth
at her side, who holds in his hand the burning lamp of Religion. At her
foot, a fearsome eagle, symbolic of America, crushes with his claws the
hideous serpent of Intolerance, suggesting the continuing triumph of
American democracy over the powers of injustice and persecution.
In 1985, the monument was relocated and rededicated on the grounds of
the National Museum of American Jewish History. This effort was
initiated in recognition of the statue's eternal message and the
Museum's mission to provide interpretations about the history and
culture of Jews in America. The Museum's location on Independence Mall,
the birthplace of American liberty, is ideal for an institution that
celebrates the freedoms that have made it possible for Jewish Americans
to flourish.
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National Museum of American Jewish History
Independence Mall East • 55 North 5th Street • Philadelphia, PA
19106-2197
tel 215-923-3811 • fax 215-923-0763 • nmajh@nmajh.org
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