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Providence Mayor Brett Smiley signed a proclamation recognizing May as Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) at a ceremony at the Brown RISD Hillel center in the Rhode Island capital on Friday.
Thrilled to stand alongside Rabbi Josh Bolton and members of our Jewish community to officially declare May as #JewishAmericanHeritageMonth. Today, we celebrate the invaluable contributions of our Jewish neighbors, enriching the diverse tapestry of our city’s culture, arts and… pic.twitter.com/NK8xFE0R3N
— Mayor Brett Smiley (@PVDMayor) May 3, 2024
Earlier this year, Mayor Smiley, in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), sent a letter to fellow city leaders in the U.S. Conference of Mayors urging them to initiate and participate in JAHM activities.
Mayor Smiley — who attended and spoke at the CAM-organized 2023 North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last fall — wrote, “The need for local recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month has never been more urgent. In the wake of the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th, antisemitic incidents and rhetoric have surged in the United States.”
“The severity of antisemitism in the public sphere casts a dark shadow over our nation, where tolerance and acceptance of all faiths, cultures, orientations, and backgrounds are paramount,” he added. “By proclaiming Jewish American Heritage Month in our cities, we not only celebrate the rich history of Jewish Americans but send a clear message to our residents that their safety, well-being, and contributions are valued, cherished, and protected.”
Mayor Smiley was among the 135 city mayors and 38 state governors who recognized JAHM in May 2023, an indication of the growing awareness of the critical importance and timely relevance of this annual opportunity to highlight Jewish contributions to U.S. society and educate the general public about Jewish culture, traditions, and history. This followed a similar letter sent by Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney to the U.S. Conference of Mayors ahead of JAHM last year.
Celebrating JAHM was included on the updated 11-point municipal action plan against antisemitism unveiled by CAM following the Fort Lauderdale summit.
In 2006, 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.
Local governments — at the state, county, and municipal levels — have begun to follow suit, recognizing JAHM and implementing relevant programs, ceremonies, and activities, and CAM has made a concerted nationwide push to get more to do so in recent years.
In 2023, CAM assisted in JAHM proclamations in more than 70 cities and several dozen more states, including Virginia, Oklahoma, New York City, Richmond, Palm Springs, Palm Beach County, Wichita, Rockford, and Highland Park, among others.
In total, 135 city mayors and 38 state governors recognized JAHM last May, and that number is expected to rise in 2024, with CAM’s continued involvment. Las Vegas was among the first major cities to do so this year, at a City Hall event last Wednesday.
