Renewing the American Jewish Dream
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, we are invited to pause and reflect on the civic legacy we share and the responsibilities we carry. This milestone offers a moment to honor the freedoms that allowed our communities to take root and flourish, and to consider how we will steward them in the years ahead. In marking this anniversary together, we reaffirm our place within the American story and renew our commitment to the civic foundations that sustain both our democracy and our communal life.
We the People at 250 brings Jewish communities into conversation about our history, our responsibilities, and the kind of civic culture we hope to cultivate in the years ahead.
We the People at 250 Kicks off Thursday, February 26, at 2026!
Make Meaning
Understand why the 250th Anniversary matters.
Spark Civic Learning
Use the 250th to deepen understanding about American Democracy within your community.
Drive Civic Engagement
Lead initiatives to inspire civic action around the 250th.
Why is 2026 Different from All Other Years?
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America’s 250th anniversary is a rare opportunity for civic reflection and recommitment - especially at a moment of democratic strain.
Jewish institutions are uniquely positioned to seize this moment. Our communities bring deep traditions of text study, moral inquiry, and communal responsibility that can help people wrestle with the ideals, contradictions, and aspirations embedded in American democracy—and translate reflection into relationship-building and action.
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Jewish life in America began in 1654 and has unfolded alongside the American experiment ever since. Across generations, Jewish communities have organized, built institutions, served in public life, and participated in the democratic process. From neighborhood associations and houses of worship to courtrooms, classrooms, and elected office, Jews have helped shape the civic life of the nation while benefiting from its constitutional framework.
That history carries more than pride. It carries instruction. The freedoms that allowed Jewish communities to flourish were not inevitable. They were secured through constitutional design, civic participation, and a sustained commitment to shared rules and institutions.
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Democracy is not something you have, it is something you do. It depends on civic knowledge, relationships across difference, and a shared commitment to the institutions and principles that bind us together.
We the People at 250 invites Jewish communities nationwide to study, reflect, and act together. Most importantly, it calls us to continue this work beyond the anniversary, renewing our commitment to the civic foundations that sustain American life in every generation.
Spark Civic Learning
Jewish organizations can respond to this moment by sparking civic learning in their communities to strengthen our democracy now and in the future. Rooted in Jewish thought and informed by contemporary civic challenges, our new American Jewish Civics resource asks how Jewish teachings, texts, and educational approaches can help cultivate the habits and knowledge that democratic life depends on: creativity, healthy debate, responsibility, pluralism, and commitment to the rule of law.
Flagship Publication
This resource provides a powerful framework to guide people in understanding, teaching, and learning American Jewish Civics. Developed by leading Jewish scholars and educators, Foundations of American Jewish Civics offers a shared language and conceptual foundation for civic learning in Jewish contexts, drawing on Jewish tradition to illuminate what democratic life requires of us.
Drive Civic Engagement
How You Can Participate in We the People at 250
Funding to Support Your Work
As communities begin to shape their plans for America’s 250th, A More Perfect Union is proud to support that work through a dedicated round of Ignition Grants aligned with America’s 250th.
These grants are designed to support civic learning, relationship-building, and community-based initiatives that advance the goals of We the People at 250:
Ignition Grant: $2,000 for an eligible project run by a single organization.
Collaboration Powerup: If your project is a collaboration among multiple partners, you can receive an additional $1,000 per partner. (Max: 3 partners per project).
faith250 Grant: Jewish organizations participating in the faith250 program (including the school versions) are eligible for an additional $1,000 in funding to support this work.
The maximum that an organization can receive in this funding round is $4,000.