Throughout May, 38 state governors and 135 mayors of cities across the U.S. officially recognized Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) — an indication of the growing awareness of the critical importance and timely relevance of this annual opportunity to highlight and celebrate Jewish contributions to U.S. society and educate the general public about Jewish culture, traditions, and history.
Watch the following video for highlights from this year’s JAHM-related activities:
In 2006, the U.S. Congress passed a bipartisan resolution urging “the President to issue each year a proclamation calling on state and local governments and the people of the United States to observe an American Jewish History Month.”
Shortly thereafter, then-President George W. Bush declared May as Jewish American Heritage Month.
Since then, successive presidents from both parties have all released annual proclamations emphasizing the integral and unique role Jewish Americans have played in the great American story over the past three and a half centuries.
In recent years, local governments — at the state, county, and municipal levels — have begun to follow suit, recognizing JAHM and implementing relevant programs, ceremonies, and activities, and the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) made a concerted nationwide effort to get more to do so this year.
Among the many states and cities where CAM was active in promoting JAHM were Virginia, Oklahoma, New York City, Richmond, Palm Springs, Palm Beach County, Wichita, Rockford, and Highland Park.
CAM also hosted a JAHM congressional breakfast on Capitol Hill, bringing together senators, representatives, and staff members from both sides of the political aisle.
A full database of state and city JAHM proclamations for 2023 can be viewed here.
