Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Eternal Light 44-10-08 (0001) A Rhode Island Refuge

Date: January 9, 2026
Duration: Approx. 30 minutes
Main Theme: The origins of religious liberty in Colonial America as seen through the eyes of Jewish settlers in Newport, Rhode Island, focusing on their journey from persecution to refuge, and their role during the American Revolution.

Overview

This premiere episode of “Eternal Light” dramatizes the early Jewish experience in Rhode Island, tracing a community’s search for religious freedom, its confrontation with ethical dilemmas, and its participation in the founding of the American Republic. The story is told primarily through the reminiscences of Mordecai, whose family fled persecution and found both opportunity and challenge in the New World.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historical Context & Setting

• The episode opens in Newport’s old Jewish cemetery, with Mordecai reflecting on his ancestors' journey from Spain and Portugal to finding sanctuary in Rhode Island (01:46).
• Roger Williams’ legacy of religious tolerance is highlighted as fundamental to the community’s prosperity and spiritual life (03:45).

2. Community Life and Moral Conflict

• Mordecai’s father, Benjamin, is portrayed as a man of deep faith and moral conviction. He teaches Mordecai the foundational Jewish values of justice, mercy, and humility (02:54).
• The merchants of Newport are depicted as industrious and ethical, engaging in various trades and prospering under a culture of tolerance (03:55).

3. The Slavery Debate

• A poignant ethical confrontation occurs between Benjamin and fellow merchant Meyer Pollock over trading in molasses, rum, and by association, slaves (04:36–05:53).
  • Benjamin refuses to profit from anything linked to the slave trade, citing Biblical injunctions:
    Benjamin (05:12):

    “Because it is written, thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother.”

• Despite economic hardship, Benjamin maintains his integrity, foreshadowing community values (06:04–06:59).

4. Forgiveness and Redemption

• Years later, after Meyer Pollock faces ruin, Benjamin offers reconciliation and support, revealing the power of compassion and forgiveness within the community (08:19–09:44).
  • Pollock admits he refrained from slave trading after reading a passage in Leviticus about not making one’s brother a bondservant.

5. Interfaith Relations and Daily Life

• The Sabbath is depicted as a time of togetherness and acceptance, with warm relationships between Jewish and Christian neighbors (10:29–11:51).
• Mordecai’s familial love and pride are palpable, grounding the historical narrative in personal experience.

6. Approaching Revolution

• Tensions arise in the community as the Revolutionary period draws near, and debates ensue about allegiance to England or joining the colonial cause (12:36–15:11).
  • Meyer Pollock (14:25):

    “Some things can only be settled in blood.”

  • Isaac Hart responds with the Talmudic principle against resorting to violence except in defense (14:34–14:46).
• Benjamin makes a stirring argument for solidarity with the colonies, asserting,
  Benjamin (15:11):

  "The American colonies are your congregation. This is our place. If blood is to be spilled, our place is with the colonists."

7. War, Loss, and Legacy

• Mordecai enlists, taking his father’s musket and the blessing to “be a good soldier for Israel and for America” (17:43–18:04).
• The war brings destruction and the death of Mordecai’s parents. Mordecai mourns but upholds his faith (18:48–19:33).

8. Postwar Renewal and National Ideals

• After the war, Mordecai returns to see that the synagogue stands and hears Washington’s famous letter to the Newport Jewish congregation (20:18–21:34).
  • Washington’s words (read by Moses):

    “...the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions, their effectual support.” (20:43–21:34)

• Mordecai reflects that the security and dignity sought by his ancestors may finally be possible in America (22:09).

9. Contemporary Reflections

• Borough President Edgar J. Nathan Jr., a descendant of these pioneers, briefly comments on the religious foundations of America, the contribution of Judaism, and the need to preserve the “eternal light” of faith and liberty for future generations (23:27–26:12).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Benjamin (Mordecai’s Father, on Jewish ethics) [05:32]:

  “Faith isn’t enough. You cannot be a Jew only with your lips. You’re a Jew every hour, every moment, in every act.”

• On religious freedom (Roger Williams, recalled) [03:45]:

  “All men may walk here as their consciences persuade them, and every one in the name of his God.”

• On solidarity during revolution (Benjamin) [15:11]:

  “The American colonies are your congregation. This is our place... if blood is to be spilled, our place is with the colonists.”

• Washington’s Letter as read by Moses [20:43]:

  “...the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions, their effectual support.”

• Final reflection (Mordecai) [22:09]:

  “The words, too, are living. The words a man called Washington addressed to the little Jewish congregation at Newport. A congregation that sleeps beside me.”

Important Timestamps

• 01:46: Mordecai introduces the narrative and the ancestral cemetery
• 02:54: Benjamin teaches Mordecai from the prophets
• 04:36–06:04: Conflict between Benjamin and Meyer Pollock about the slave trade
• 08:19–09:44: Reconciliation scene between Benjamin and Meyer
• 12:36–15:11: Debate over joining the revolution
• 17:43–18:04: Benjamin blesses Mordecai as he goes to war
• 18:48–19:33: News of Mordecai’s parents’ death; Kaddish recited
• 20:18–21:34: Reading of Washington’s letter
• 23:27–26:12: Address by Edgar J. Nathan Jr. on religious liberty and American ideals

Episode Tone & Style

The language is reverent, reflective, and deeply rooted in historical and religious tradition. The characters speak with a mixture of warmth and gravitas, their dialogue interwoven with citations of scripture and the Talmud. The story blends drama, nostalgia, ethical inquiry, and hope, embodying the values at the heart of America’s founding.

Conclusion

“A Rhode Island Refuge” offers a moving dramatization of the Jewish journey to and within America, framing their pursuit of religious liberty and community integrity against the backdrop of the American Revolution. The episode closes by affirming the continuing relevance of these foundational values, not only as historical legacy but as an ongoing duty to “hand on to our children” the eternal light of faith and freedom.