May is Jewish American Heritage Month

The dream for a national month to celebrate Jewish contributions to American history follows on the highly successful celebration of the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History in 2004-05.

Impressed by the depth and breadth of the 350th celebration, U.S. Representatives Deborah Wasserman Schultz (D, FL) and Henry Hyde (R-IL) introduced a resolution to the United States House of Representatives calling for creation of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). This resolution won strong support in both chambers of Congress and President George W. Bush issued a Proclamation on April 20, 2006 calling on the nation to commemorate JAHM. President Bush will continue to proclaim the month of May as JAHM, and we anticipate that future presidents will renew this proclamation so that it should become an annual event.

In May 2007, we will commemorate the second annual Jewish American Heritage Month, and the JAHM Coalition will lead the way. The JAHM Coalition is being convened by The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, United Jewish Communities, and the American Jewish Historical Society and will consist of a larger steering committee that includes a wide range of organizations.

The JAHM Coalition will move forward in the spirit in which it was formed-as a community driven movement to institutionalize the celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month. The goal of the JAHM Coalition will be to plan and ensure the implementation of programs and activities to educate the public about the American Jewish community's contributions to the history, heritage, and culture of the United States.

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