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With May underway, the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) is encouraging mayors across the United States to officially proclaim and celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) at the municipal level.
Partnering with CAM in this effort, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller sent a letter earlier this spring to fellow city leaders in the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) calling them to initiate and participate in JAHM activities.
“When we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate American history,” Mayor Keller — who attended CAM’s first-ever in-person Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Athens, Greece, in 2022 — wrote. “We are recognizing neighbors, colleagues, and fellow citizens whose presence has enriched every corner of this country.”
“At a time when antisemitism is on the rise, public recognition like this sends a powerful message,” he emphasized. “It tells Jewish residents, and everyone in our communities, that Jewish life is valued, Jewish history is our shared history, and that belonging to our communities is not conditional.”
As of Monday, a total of 217 mayors had endorsed the letter, which can be read in full HERE.
Albuquerque was among the more than 200 municipalities where JAHM was recognized last May, an indication of the growing awareness of the critical importance and timely relevance of this yearly opportunity to highlight Jewish contributions to U.S. society and educate the general public about Jewish culture, traditions, and history.
Similar JAHM letters were sent to U.S. Conference of Mayors members by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria last year, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley in 2024 and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney in 2023.
“We are grateful to Mayor Keller for his leadership in issuing this meaningful call to action,” said CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz. “CAM is proud to support mayors who are using this month to celebrate Jewish American contributions, educate their communities, and strengthen the fight against antisemitism and hate.”
A template for official municipal JAHM proclamations is available HERE.
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 JAHM proclamations.
State, county, and municipal governments 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.
Last week, CAM officially kicked off its 2026 JAHM program at the “L’Chaim!” forum in Savannah, Georgia, where 50 mayors convened to honor the integral role Jews have played in American history over the past 250 years. All participating mayors also signed on to a pledge to mark JAHM in their cities this year.
Later this month, CAM will host its annual JAHM congressional breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., bringing together senators, representatives, and staff members for a bipartisan celebration of Jewish heritage.
Read more:
CAM Welcomes Bipartisan US Congressional Resolution Recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month
