Educator Resources on Religion and Freedom

More on Washington and the Newport Letters

National Museum of American Jewish History - Special Exhibition and Interactive Tour of Letters

To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington and Religious Freedom explores faith and freedom in early America and features the historic correspondence between the nation's first president and the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island.

George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom

The George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom (GWIRF) is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting open, respectful discussion about religious liberty and the separation of church and state, and exploring the modern ramifications of these concepts.

More on Religion in American History

God in America - PBS

God In America is a six part series that goes inside the tumultuous 400-year history of the intersection of religion and public life in America. Primary documents including classic sermons and speeches, timeline of faith in America, video interviews with leading historians, and much more.

Library of Congress - Religion and the Founding of the American Republic

Comprehensive resource with links and images of many founding documents in the history of religion from pre-colonial days to the Revolution, including laws, declarations, letters, and historic images.

Divining America: Religion in American History

This collection of scholarly essays at the National Humanities Center broadens the history of US religion to include the Jewish, Catholic, African American, Mormon experiences, and many others.

Loeb Touro Visitors Center, Newport Rhode Island - Online Exhibits on Religious Liberty

Introduction to key moments in the evolution of American religious liberty, the separation of church and state, the early American Jewish community, and the unique history of Rhode Island in establishing freedom of religion. 

More on Faith and Identity from Facing History and Ourselves

Civic Dilemmas: Religion, Migration and Belonging
With record numbers of migrants moving between countries around the world, what are the new challenges that western democratic countries face? What does the growing presence of religious minorities mean for a country’s view of secularity?

Our Civic Dilemmas resource site and book series provides a wide range of essays, media, and classroom explorations.

A Convenient Hatred: the History of Antisemitism

A Convenient Hatred is an approachable, well-researched narrative of one of the world’s oldest consistent hatreds and its implications for the moral choices we make. The book chronicles the evolution of antisemitism through powerful stories that provide insights into universal aspects of human behavior, particularly the power of ideas—even mistaken ideas—to shape thought, judgment, and ultimately behavior.

Holocaust and Human Behavior

Our core work, Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior takes students on a journey from thought to judgment to participation as they confront the moral questions inherent in a study of violence, racism, antisemitism and bigotry. The book then helps students discover how their decisions can make a positive difference in their community, nation and the world. 

Seminars and Workshops

See the latest schedule of seminars and workshops in your community and online for powerful explorations of these topics.