TFP INTERNAL: May is Jewish American Heritage Month

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May is Jewish American Heritage Month!

Honoring Jewish Contributions to American Progress,

History and Culture

by Eric J. Greenberg

The month of May not only brings the birth of new leaves and flowers but also marks Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a celebration educating the American public about the historic contributions of Jews to the United States in all sectors – from science and medicine to music, the arts, sports and business.

This year, JAHM takes on special significance as American Jews face an alarming spike in antisemitism across the nation, unprecedented in its breadth, scale and venom.

“Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity for organizations and people of all backgrounds to learn and celebrate the integral role Jewish Americans have played in shaping our nation over the past four centuries,” said Dr. Misha Galperin, president and CEO of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, which coordinates the month-long initiative.

Award-winning Jewish singer and actress, Bette Midler

“The awareness-building and normalizing of American Jews that happens through JAHM is critical in educating against antisemitism. We encourage individuals, families, communities, businesses, and institutions to join us in countering antisemitism through celebration, education, solidarity, and allyship.”

This year, the museum has joined forces with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and a national coalition of more than 200 cultural, educational, religious, advocacy organizations, museums, and library systems across the country, including The Focus Project.

Special events in person and online will present a wide range of programs throughout the month focusing on the myriad ways Jews have enhanced American society through centuries.

Many may be familiar with names but did not know they were Jewish. A few of the well-known Jewish innovators in their fields:

In music there’s Lenny Kravitz, Pink, Billy Joel, Adam Levine, Paula Abdul, George and Ira Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel, Carole King & Gerry Goffin and Neil Diamond.

In sports there’s hockey's Adam Fox, baseball’s Max Fried, Alex Bregman, Moe Berg, Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax and former New York Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire; women’s basketball legends Sue Bird and Nancy Gottlieb; Olympic swimming star Mark Spitz.

Historic scientific breakthroughs were made by Albert Einstein and Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed a vaccine against polio and then chose to not patent the vaccine or seek any profit from it in order to maximize its global distribution. In law, historic contributions were made by Supreme Court Justices, Louis D. Brandeis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In comedy one could start with The Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, Lenny Bruce, Jerry Lewis, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Gene Wilder, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.

In the movies, there’s Oscar-winning director Stephen Spielberg, actors Lauren Bacall, Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johansson, Edward G. Robinson, Dustin Hoffman, Adam Sandler, Jack Black, Jake Gyllenhall and Zac Efron.

Nobel Prize winning physicist Albert Einstein

Google was invented by two Jewish Americans, Sergey Brin, and Larry Page. Famous clothing designers Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein are all proud American Jews.

President Joe Biden, in proclaiming May as Jewish American Heritage Month, recalled how in 1654, a small band of 23 Jewish refugees fled persecution and sailed into the port of modern-day New York City.

“They fought for religious freedom, helping define one of the bedrock principles upon which our Nation was built,” Biden stated. “Jewish American culture has been inextricably woven into the fabric of our country. Jewish American suffragists, activists, and leaders marched for civil rights, women’s rights, and voting rights.

“Jewish American scientists, doctors, and engineers have made scientific breakthroughs that define America as a land of possibilities. They have served our Nation in uniform, on the Nation’s highest courts, and at the highest levels of my Administration. As public servants, artists, entertainers, journalists, and poets, they have helped write the story of America, making it — as Emma Lazarus’ poem on the Statue of Liberty states — a home for the ‘huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’”

At the same time, Biden acknowledged the alarming state of antisemitism and called on Americans to fight the hatred of Jews.

“As we celebrate the Jewish American community’s contributions this month, we also honor their resilience in the face of a long and painful history of persecution. Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack on October 7 against Israel marked the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, resurfacing, including here in the United States, painful scars from millennia of antisemitism and genocide of Jewish people.

“Jews across the country and around the world are still coping with the trauma and horror of that day and the months since. Our hearts are with all the victims, survivors, families, and friends whose loved ones were killed, wounded, displaced, or taken hostage — including women and girls who Hamas has subjected to appalling acts of rape and sexual violence.

“I call upon all Americans to learn more about the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.” Biden declared.

Through his proclamation, Biden was carrying on the tradition of previous presidents, going to back to George W. Bush, who established JAHM in 2006.

Originally, JAHM began as an effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders and through the bi-partisan efforts of U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the late Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

The tradition continued every year since then by Presidential Proclamation. In 2010, NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman carried the original JAHM proclamation into space and President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle hosted the first-ever White House reception in honor of JAHM.

“JAHM is important because it recognizes the over 350 years of Jewish life in the United States—350 years where the Jewish community has become an intrinsic part of the mosaic that makes up our nation, “said Conference of Presidents CEO William Daroff. “Given the increase in antisemitism in the United States, it is vitally important that Americans understand the crucial role Jews have played in our country’s history. The best way to combat hatred is through education—and educating the American people through JAHM is an excellent antidote to ignorance.”

For more information about JAHM, go to JewishAmericanHeritage.org

Visitors will find a free electronic toolkit, including a resource guide, posters, and downloadable social posts. The hashtags #MyJAHM and #OurSharedHeritage drive social media users to post their own content about how they celebrate Jewish American heritage and culture.

Teachers can sign up for free professional development sessions to learn about bringing age-appropriate JAHM lessons into classrooms. Also available are free lesson plans, teaching ideas, reading lists, and more resources. Learn more and sign up here. JAHM 2024 also features a series of event both in person and live streamed, which you can find on the website.

Jewish American Heritage Month is a national month of recognition and celebration held each May by Presidential proclamation, a tradition that began in May 2006.

Sharing the true, diverse, joyful, and powerful stories of American Jewish life across nearly four centuries counters myths and misinformation about Jews and offers an antidote to antisemitism.

To confront antisemitism (through efforts like JAHM) is to defend the core American value of democracy.

Jews have shaped and been shaped by America since the dawn of our nation. The people who would form the first Jewish community in America were Hispanic Jews who came to New Amsterdam (New York) from Brazil as refugees in 1654.

JAHM is for everyone! Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month in your community helps to promote openness and inclusivity, and creates opportunities for all stakeholders to feel valued and seen. Raising awareness of JAHM and the inextricable links between Jewish Americans and broader American history and culture helps fight antisemitism by breaking down barriers.

JAHM’s central address is JewishAmericanHeritage.org and includes educational resources for teachers and the general public, links to special events, and marketing tools.

The Focus Project develops and distributes news, background, history and weekly talking points on timely issues to inform individuals and organizations about issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, and help readers speak with more consistency and clarity. The editions also provide potential responses for addressing incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. With input from a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations, we focus on that which unites us, rising above political and individual agendas.

Recognizing that hatred of Jews comes in many forms and directions, we strive to address all sources as they arise, and educate our growing audience on topics ranging from inter-religious relations to relevant international developments. From week to week, we may focus on issues arising from the political left, university campuses, from the political right and from institutions, government, and corporations. We don’t try to address all issues in each edition. We hope you will find this information useful in your writing and/or speaking. We are always open to your feedback: info@focus-project.org.