"Jews In America: From the Colonial Period to the Civil War" Panel at NY Historic Soc

Last night was a panel discussion to coincide with the (lackluster & unenlightening) exhibit "Jews in America: From the Colonial Period to the Civil War."  The exhibit I found uninspiring and was hoping that the panel discussion might illucidate what seemed elusive.  "The long history of American-Jewish contributions to our nation began during the earliest era of colonial settlement."  I was disappointed that the discussion didn't divulge any significant cultural or societal contributions that enriched our nascent nation.  The panel consisted of Dale Rosengarten, co-curator & Dir of Center for Southern Jewish Culture at Charleston Univ, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of Congregation Shearith Israel and moderator, Louise Mirrer, Pres/Ceo of NY Historical Soc.  Mirrer began by saying she was going to step outside her role as moderator and speak of her research for her masters degree in linguistics in NM where the dialect & customs indigenous to a small Jewish population were traceable to the earliest Jewish settlers in the 16th C immigrating from S America who were fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in the late 15th C.  The talks are limited to an hour including a 15 minute Q&A and I'm finding the moderators have been overstepping their limits (as in this case) and deterring from the intent of the discussion.  The exhibit showed the migrations from Spain & Portugal to S American countries & then to the colonies (mainly New Amsterdam (now NYC) and from there a significant population migrated to Philadelphia.  The information which is mapped out in the exhibit didn't require as much reiteration and what was lacking in both the exhibit and the talk were contributions made the Jewish population rather than merely finding a haven from religious persecution.  Rabbi Soloveichik wanted to claim Hamilton, a founding father as a Jew but this was not new info that his mom married a Jewish man & that Hamilton studied in a Jewish school (probably because he was unwelcomed as an illegitimate child & a child of an illicit married couple.)  Rosengarten spoke of the assimilation & affluence of the Jewish population in Charleston and as such, they too maintained slaves.  I was dismayed that Rosengarten spoke of this as a badge of honor rather than disgrace.  The evening was a sold out crowd with a long waiting list.  I found the evening a dismal & disappointing discussion.