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 “With Firmness in the Right: Lincoln and the Jews” examines
Lincoln’s role in paving the way for acceptance and inclusion of
Jews in America. It also tells the story of how a number of Jews, as
a group and as individuals, affected Lincoln deeply and became his
neighbors, friends, colleagues and allies.
The exhibit gathers Lincoln documents, photographs, letters, Bibles
and other artifacts from many different sources. The Shapell
Manuscript Foundation, the Chicago Historical Society, Brown
University, the Library of Congress, the National Archives and the
Lincoln Presidential Library all contributed. Some items have never
been exhibited publicly until now.
Inspired by the book “Lincoln and the Jews: A History,” by Jonathan
D. Sarna and Benjamin Shapell, the exhibit opened at the New-York
Historical Society earlier this year. A significantly revised
version will open at the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on
Aug. 3 and run through Nov. 15.
 “Abraham Lincoln befriended Jews and would not tolerate bigotry
toward them, even from his most vaunted general. His acceptance of
Jews set a pattern that made acceptance a bit easier for other
minorities coming to America in the years ahead,” said Eileen
Mackevich, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum. “We hope this exhibit brings new attention to
this part of the Lincoln story.”
By the time of his death, Lincoln had had more Jewish friends and
acquaintances than any president before him. They included Julius
Hammerslough, who owned a Springfield clothing store; Samuel G.
Alschuler, a photographer who produced portraits of Lincoln in 1858
and 1860; Abraham Jonas, a Quincy attorney whom Lincoln described as
“one of my most valued friends”; and Issachar Zacharie, a doctor who
operated on Lincoln’s feet.
The exhibit will display correspondence between Lincoln and Jonas,
photos by Alschuler, and Lincoln’s hand-written praise for the
treatment provided by Zacharie. It also includes Lincoln’s
appointment of the U.S. military’s first Jewish chaplain, the
commissions of Jewish officers and eulogies written by rabbis after
Lincoln’s assassination. The exhibition is guest curated by Dr. Ann
Meyerson.
“This exhibit does more than shed light on Lincoln’s views of a
specific group. It tells us about his heart, his fundamental sense
of fairness,” said Daniel Stowell, the Lincoln Presidential
Library’s curator for the exhibit. “He was always willing to look
past old prejudices. Lincoln’s broader view for America found
expression in his Second Inaugural Address, segments of which will
appear in the exhibit in Lincoln’s own hand.”
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 The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum plans an array of
events and activities inspired by the new exhibit.
- Gary Zola, professor of the American Jewish experience at
Cincinnati’s Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion,
will speak at the opening night reception for the exhibit.
- Daniel Stowell, director of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln,
will speak Aug. 23 at the museum. The event will be presented in
partnership with the Jewish Federation of Springfield.
- On Oct. 3, the presidential library presents an evening of
the American songbook. The event will feature Laurence Maslon,
from the Graduate Acting Program at New York University's Tisch
School of the Arts, and Ollie Watts Davis, music professor at
the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
- Jonathan Sarna, co-author of “Lincoln and the Jews: A
History,” will speak Oct. 15. Sarna is chair of the Hornstein
Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University,
president of the Association for Jewish Studies, and chief
historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History in
Philadelphia.
- The Lincoln Presidential Library presents a discussion of
American Jewish history on Nov. 7 with Hasia Diner, director of
the Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History at New
York University.
For information about reservations for these events, please
visit the ALPLM website:
www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.
 “With Firmness in the Right: Lincoln and the Jews” is presented
with the support of Stephen and Lisa Stone, Robert and Natalie
Silverman, Jean and William Soman, and the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library Foundation.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum recently
commemorated the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s
assassination and the end of the Civil War; at the same time,
ALPLM celebrated its tenth anniversary, with record-breaking
attendance, on April 19, 2015. For more about the anniversary,
visit
www.TenYearsLincoln.com.
The Shapell Manuscript Foundation
The Shapell Manuscript Foundation is an independent educational
organization dedicated to the collection, research and
exhibition of original manuscripts and historical documents. The
Foundation’s focus is on the histories of the United States and
the Holy Land, with emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. The
collection includes original manuscripts and documents from
American presidents, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Theodor Herzl
and more. For more information, visit
www.shapell.org
[Chris Wills, Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency]
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