America 250th

To mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, Congregation Mickve Israel is curating an exhibit entitled “Forging Our Sacred Liberty: The Declaration of Independence and Religious Freedom in Georgia 1733-1790.”

The exhibit will explore in depth the ways that Savannah, during the colonial period, served as a crucible for democratic ideals and religious freedom. These ideals ultimately found expression in the Declaration of Independence and later in the Constitution. The exhibit will highlight the role of the Jewish community and other religious minorities in the city’s emergence and growth from 1733 through 1790, when the Constitution had been ratified and Mickve Israel incorporated in the state of Georgia. The CMI History and Heritage Steering Committee has been planning the exhibit in earnest since last summer, led by Museum Co-Chairs Margie and BH Levy , and a strong support cast of volunteers and staff.

The exhibit is intended to reach a wide audience: Savannahians who want to explore local Jewish history more deeply, tourists interested in the Declaration of Independence, school groups studying American history, and historians who seek a more in-depth exploration of Savannah’s unique history of welcoming religious minorities. Through the display of rare artifacts, colonial era documents, and detailed historical description, the exhibit will help celebrate the 250 years since the Declaration of Independence planted the seeds of religious tolerance and separation of Church and State that remain benchmark innovations of the great American experiment.

The exhibit will open in May of 2026 and will run until January of 2027. If you would like to volunteer on or support this unique project, please email Margie Levy or Bob Greenberg… and keep an eye out for more details at our exhibit landing page