Jewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is an annual observance in May that celebrates the history and contributions of Jewish Americans to the broader American culture. Established by President George W. Bush in 2006, JAHM builds upon earlier initiatives like Jewish American Week, initiated in the 1980s, and the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History, which commemorated the Jewish presence in America since 1654. This month-long celebration is organized nationally by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia and seeks to honor the achievements of Jewish Americans, who have significantly influenced various aspects of American society.
JAHM serves as a platform for Jewish Americans to reflect on their heritage and for non-Jewish Americans to engage with and learn about Jewish culture. The observance highlights the resilience of Jewish communities in the face of historical challenges and promotes an understanding of the diversity within the American experience. Individuals can participate in JAHM through various activities, such as visiting Jewish museums, exploring Jewish literature, or engaging in social justice initiatives. Ultimately, JAHM fosters a greater appreciation for the contributions of Jewish Americans, while encouraging dialogue about diversity and humanity among all Americans.
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Jewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is an annual celebration of Jewish American history and the many contributions that Jewish Americans have made to American culture. Observed each year in May, JAHM was first established by President George W. Bush in 2006 and has been continued by each president since. In addition to the various JAHM programs that take place across the country in May, the national JAHM celebration is organized by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. The historic origins of JAHM are closely tied to both the earlier establishment of Jewish American Week in the 1980s and the celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History in 2004. In the years since its creation, JAHM has evolved into the largest and most widely recognized commemoration of Jewish Americans and their contributions to the American way of life.
Background
Jewish people have long been an important part of the diverse American cultural landscape. For many years, Jewish Americans strove to find a way to publicly share their heritage and celebrate their many contributions to American culture. Their first significant success in this endeavor came in the early 1980s when the US Congress passed a bill that authorized the president to set aside a special week in April or May for the commemoration of Jewish heritage. Jimmy Carter ultimately became the first president to do so with his subsequent creation of the inaugural Jewish American Week.
More than two decades after the introduction of Jewish American Week, Jewish Americans took another important step toward a larger and broader celebration of their culture. That step came in the form of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History. Observed in May 2004, the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History commemorated Jewish people’s long legacy in America. When the anniversary celebration was held, Jewish people had been a part of America’s story for three and a half centuries. Although some Jewish people visited the New World earlier, Jewish history in America officially began with the arrival of twenty-three Jewish immigrants in what was then the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, which became known as New York in 1654. This small group of settlers relocated to New Amsterdam from Recife, Brazil, to escape the Portuguese, who had recently taken over that region of South America. Unlike other Jewish people who came to the American colonies before them, the twenty-three Jewish immigrants from Recife intended to remain in America. Because their group consisted of men, women, and children, they were in the position to start a permanent Jewish American community. Unfortunately, this reality attracted the attention of New Amsterdam governor Peter Stuyvesant, who sought to have the Jewish immigrants expelled from his colony to maintain its religious homogeneity. In the end, however, the immigrants won the right to settle in New Amsterdam. With their victory, they became the first true Jewish Americans and an entire cultural legacy—the one celebrated during the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History—was born.
Overview
In the wake of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History, a renewed effort to create an expanded annual celebration of Jewish heritage began to take hold. Just a year after the anniversary commemoration, two members of Congress— Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Senator Arlen Specter—sponsored a resolution aimed at designating a month to honor Jewish Americans, their heritage, and their many cultural contributions. Drafted largely in response to advocacy from the Jewish Museum of Florida and determined Jewish community leaders from South Florida, the resolution was passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being sent to President George W. Bush. On April 20, 2006, Bush officially proclaimed that the following May would be designated as the first ever JAHM. Since that time, each successive US president has designated May as JAHM.
JAHM is intended to shine a light on an often-overlooked cultural minority whose contributions to the American experience are frequently left out of the national narrative because of bias and hate. Through JAHM, Jewish Americans enjoy the chance to have their cultural heritage and influence in the United States celebrated and honored. For that reason, many Jewish Americans view JAHM as a time to reflect more closely on their own roots and learn more about their own history. Many non-Jewish Americans embrace JAHM as an opportunity to explore Jewish culture and better familiarize themselves with Jewish Americans and their various achievements.
JAHM is a celebration of Jewish American culture in several ways. First and foremost, it is a celebration of Jewish American heritage and the accomplishments and contributions of Jewish Americans. Jewish Americans, including such prominent individuals as Albert Einstein and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, have had a significant impact on America and American culture, and JAHM helps to highlight their influence. JAHM is also a celebration of Jewish Americans' resilience in the face of persecution and the other hardships they endured as they strove to carve out a place for themselves in America. Finally, JAHM is also a celebration of humanity and diversity; all Americans are ultimately human beings regardless of their ethnicity, race, religious affiliation, or socioeconomic background.
People can engage in JAHM in many ways regardless of whether they are Jewish. For example, anyone who wishes to explore Judaism and Jewish American culture during JAHM could visit a Jewish museum or historical site, try Jewish foods, study Jewish American history, read Jewish books, watch Jewish movies, take part in Jewish social justice work, or support a Jewish organization. Jewish Americans who wish to take advantage of JAHM might use the opportunity to research their own family history or perhaps delve more deeply into their faith at a local synagogue.
Bibliography
“About Jewish American Heritage Month.” Jewish American Heritage Month, www.jewishheritagemonth.gov/About.html. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Bigam Kaput, Kate. “14 Ways to Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month.” ReformJudaism.org, reformjudaism.org/14-ways-celebrate-jewish-american-heritage-month. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Goldman, Karla. “Who Knew?” Jewish Women’s Archive, jwa.org/350years/history. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
“Jewish American Heritage Month.” Jewish Women’s Archive, jwa.org/discover/throughtheyear/may/jahm. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
“May Designated Jewish American Heritage Month.” Jewish Women’s Archive, 20 Apr. 2006, jwa.org/thisweek/apr/20/2006/jewish-american-heritage-month. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
“What Is Jewish American Heritage Month? Celebrating Contributions and Culture.” Hallmark, 12 Sept. 2024, ideas.hallmark.com/articles/spring-ideas/what-is-jewish-american-heritage-month. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.