This year’s Fourth of July marks America’s 250th birthday, and there’s a free guide making the rounds that gives the holiday a Jewish twist worth knowing about. The Simchat Torah Challenge America @ 250 Reader pairs an exclusive pulled pastrami sandwich recipe from my friend, chef and creator Eitan Bernath, with a collection of stories about the Jewish roots woven into America’s founding. It is free to sign up, and it lands right in time for cookout season.
The Recipe: Eitan Bernath’s Pulled Pastrami Sandwich
Hot dogs and burgers will always have their place on the grill, but this year there is a reason to switch things up. Eitan Bernath built a pulled pastrami sandwich specifically for this guide, taking a deli classic and turning it into something built for a backyard barbecue. It is the kind of recipe that fits right into a holiday spread without losing the flavor that makes pastrami pastrami in the first place. You can sign up here to get the full recipe sent straight to you.
The History: Jewish Roots in America’s Founding Story
Beyond the food, the guide digs into something a lot of people do not realize: just how often biblical stories shaped the language and ideas of America’s founders. Moses and the Exodus story came up again and again as the founders described their own pursuit of liberty. The inscription on the Liberty Bell is pulled directly from the Book of Leviticus. George Washington himself referenced biblical visions of freedom and religious liberty more than once. For a 250th anniversary read, that is a meaningful angle, and it is one most July 4th content skips entirely.
Why It’s Worth Signing Up
The Simchat Torah Challenge brings together tens of thousands of Jews around the world reading the weekly Torah portion, and this guide is their way of marking America’s 250th with something that blends food, history, and tradition. If you are planning your Fourth of July menu or just want a guide that gives the holiday some extra depth, it is worth the thirty seconds it takes to grab your free copy before the long weekend.
Note: This post contains a sponsored link, and YeahThatsKosher.com may receive referral credit for signups made through the link above.
