May is Jewish American Heritage Month

In our current culture that discounts groups of people, we wish to celebrate and acknowledge our culture’s rich texture, owing much to different groups. We celebrate Jewish American Heritage this month and applaud the contributions of Jewish people to societies around the planet and to the national fabric of the United States. We recognize Jewish contributions to American culture, history, military, science, government, and more.

In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month. This was a result of a concerted effort by American Jewish leaders to introduce resolutions in both the U.S. Senate and the House urging the President to proclaim a month specifically recognizing Jews in America and their contributions to the United States.

Check out the National Archives to learn more and view multiple informative videos highlighting key contributors to the United States from the Jewish community.

According to the Library of Congress-hosted website, JewishHeritageMonth.gov, 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.

The Jewish American Heritage offers an amazing collection of information, including toolkits and media to help acknowledge this celebration. Check it out here: https://jewishamericanheritage.org/

Are you sharing this information with colleagues, patients, faculty, and students? Celebrating our diversity is paramount to building community. It’s great to be a part of this process of integrating diversity into our lives. What are your thoughts and experiences?