TABLET MAG
American by the Grace of God
Liel Leibovitz and Tony Badran
July 2, 2024

What, to an immigrant, is the Fourth of July? For the two of us immigrants—a Christian from Lebanon and a Jew from Israel, respectively—Independence Day, in addition to hot dogs on the grill and fireworks in the sky, is about taking a moment to reflect on the seminal decision of our lives: the decision to come to America to be part of a great and good nation. If you’re detecting a religious undertone in our love for this country, you’re not wrong. Though we come from two very different faith traditions, we both see becoming an American as an act of grace, an unmerited privilege bestowed on an individual in the belief that he or she can, in the brightness and warmth of this singular country, find salvation. READ MORE