Jewish American Heritage Month

Jews first arrived on American soil back in 1654 in New Amsterdam. In search of better opportunities and lifestyles, they made the U.S. their new home base, finding in it a space where they could openly practice their faith and lead their lives freely without the fear of persecution. The efforts to create a Jewish American Heritage Month had been in the pipeline since 1980. The U.S. Congress passed and authorized a bill that would allow President Carter to designate a special week in either April or May for Jewish heritage celebrations. Finally, in April of 2006, the whole month of May was dedicated to recognizing and honoring Jewish contributions and achievements.?

Albert Einstein and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are some of the most prominent Jewish American figures. Einstein faced ridicule and bullying growing up with many of his teachers giving up on him. If he had succumbed to society’s ugliness, we, as human beings, might have missed out on a lot of great things today. Likewise, Ginsburg faced sexism at her workplace. People did not want to work with her just because she was a woman and many still believed that a woman’s place was in the kitchen. However, she pushed on and became the harbinger of many helpful laws, including abortion rights.?

Jewish people have also been great advocates for other minorities and their rights in America. They participated in the Civil Rights Movement, making up a large portion of white Americans who showed up at voter registrations, rallies, sit-ins, etc. While, today, things may not be as difficult as they were even less than a hundred years ago, all the achievements by Jewish people, big and small, deserve to be recognized and celebrated?—?and there’s no better time than in Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM).?

Information provided by: JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH -May 2022 - National Today

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