Before we leave the month of May, we need to acknowledge and celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month! JAHM is celebrated across many institutions due to the contributions of Jewish Americans to the arts, sciences, culture and government. This month was first recognized in 2006. It serves as a time to celebrate the many and profound contributions of Jewish Americans in our nation’s history.
The story dates back to when the first known Jewish immigrant, Jacob Barsimson, arrived in New York City in 1654. Around the turn of the 20th century a large wave of immigrants arrived, and the population went from about 80,000 Jewish Americans in 1880 to 1.5 million in 1920.
Today Jewish Americans make up roughly 2.4% of the population and many have settled in New York City. In fact, New York has the second largest Jewish population of any city in the world, behind only Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Profound Contributions
From ajc.org we read the following: “Over the past 370 years, Jewish Americans have given to their communities and this nation as loyal and patriotic citizens, always grateful for the safe harbor that America provided for them. Jewish Americans have served in government and the military, have won Nobel prizes, headed universities and corporations, advanced medicine, created and performed in enduring works of performing and visual art, written great American novels, and become emblems of justice as members of the Supreme Court, and so much more. Perhaps most importantly, American Jews have always pushed America to live up to its promise as a nation that upholds freedom and justice for all.”
Let’s mention a few familiar names: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; composer Irving Berlin; baseball star Hank Greenberg; author Judie Blume; the people’s attorney Louis Brandeis; feminist writer Betty Friedan; educator and human rights advocate Elie Wiesel; poet Emma Lazarus; nurse and humanitarian Lillian Wald; theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel; Ambassador and educator Deborah Lipstadt; Physicist Albert Einstein; inventor Levi Strauss; author Hannah Arendt; comic book creator Stan Lee; artist Barbra Streisand; NASA scientist Judith Resnik; film director Steven Spielberg; pharmacologist Gertrude Elion; manufacturer Julius Rosenwald (Sears & Roebuck); labor union activist Rose Schneiderman; scientist/physician Jonas Salk; Olympian gymnast Aly Raisman; comic book writer Will Eisner; baseball pitcher Sandy Koufax… and we could go on and on. We thank these artists and scientists, scholars and athletes and the many millions more who have brought their minds and talents to America.
The History
It was President George W. Bush who first proclaimed the month on April 20, 2006. He did so in cooperation with Sen. Arlen Specter as well as the South Florida Jewish Community and the Jewish Museum of Florida. Since then, annual proclamations have been made by Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden.
From Wikipedia we read the following: “The Jewish American Heritage Month Coalition states that, JAHM also enables the exploration of the meaning of religious pluralism, cultural diversity, and participation in American civic culture. May was chosen as the month of Jewish American Heritage Month because of the successful 350th Anniversary Celebration of Jews in America marking the Jewish arrival in New Amsterdam.
“In 2020, the National Museum of American Jewish History successfully pivoted Jewish American Heritage Month to online programming and launched a website with the support of more than 50 organizations around the country, forging ahead even in the era of COVID-19.” Here is a link to that excellent website, and we encourage a visit [LINK].
Appreciation from AMS
Jewish Americans have faced unspeakable discrimination and adversity and yet the people have always persevered. We thank Jewish Americans for the incredible contributions to America and to our lives. We thank the ones who came before, and the future generations who will continue to contribute to America and the world.
Thank You for making America your home and giving so much talent and wisdom to the arts, sciences, government and culture of this country.
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