Exhibition | The First Salute

Posted in anniversaries, exhibitions by Editor on March 4, 2026

From the press release for the exhibition:

The First Salute: An Untold Story of the American Revolution

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, 23 April 2026 — April 2027

Curated by Josh Perelman, with Jonathan Sarna, Pamela Nadell, and Laura Leibman

“Had it not been for… this infamous island, the American rebellion could not possibly have subsisted.”*

This landmark exhibition marking America’s 250th will take you on an adventure through America’s fight for freedom as you’ve never seen it before—where Jewish faith, courage, and persecution collided on the high seas to change the course of history. The First Salute: An Untold Story of the American Revolution is the first-ever major museum exhibition to explore the little-known story of a small group of Jewish merchants in the Caribbean whose outsized contributions to the cause of American Liberty tipped the scales in the fight for American Independence.

Exhibition curator Josh Perelman (left) with Heritage Inspector Raimie Richardson (right) on St. Eustatius (known locally as ‘Statia’) (Photo by Avida Linvy, November 2025).

The First Salute is the high-stakes, true story sparked by two key moments on the high seas that tipped the scales of the American Revolution and its founding principles. Set against the backdrop of the tiny Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, this riveting tale explores how religious liberty, Jewish trade merchants, and the cruelty toward the Jewish community by a debt-ridden British admiral converged at a pivotal time in world history, and impacted the trajectory of the Revolutionary War.

From Jewish expulsion from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century, to secret shipments of gunpowder disguised as tea by a network of Jewish merchants in the Caribbean in the 18th century, this tale of resilience, ingenuity, survival, and the promise of freedom still resonates today. This semiquincentennial exhibition features original films, rarely seen artifacts, storytelling, and an immersive video experience that situates visitors within three of the four original walls of St. Eustatius’s synagogue and Jewish cemetery that still stand today. The exhibition expands the understanding of the American Revolution by including the greater Atlantic World and illustrating the connections between North American and Caribbean Jewish communities, offering new insights into people and events that helped secure America’s independence.

“The First Salute reminds us that America’s strength lies in its enduring commitment to religious liberty,” said Dan Tadmor, President and CEO of The Weitzman. “Two hundred and fifty years after America’s founding, this exhibition connects historical events to present-day challenges. We hope that visitors walk away considering the roles of faith, community, and discrimination — in both historical and contemporary contexts.”

The First Salute is made possible with financial assistance provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Honorable Josh Shapiro, Governor; support from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative which propelled this exhibition’s development; and The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Additional funding has been provided by the Maimonides Fund, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker & the City of Philadelphia, America250PA, Betsy and Philip M. Darivoff, and other generous individuals.

The full press release is available here»