May 2006 was proclaimed by then-President, George W. Bush, as Jewish American Heritage Month to celebrate Jewish Americans and their heritage. Each year the month recognizes 350-year plus history of Jewish contributions to America.
American Jews’ Achievements/Contributions
Jonas Edward Salk (October 28, 1914 – June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines.
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (February 14, 1942 - ) is an American businessman and politician. He is the co-founder of Bloomberg L.P and was the Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. He was also a candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.
American Jews’ Achievements/Contributions
Gloria Already (July 3, 1991 –) is a famous Jewish activist. She is an American women's rights attorney who takes many high-profile and controversial cases, especially those that relate to protecting women’s rights and sexual harassment and assault. She represented at least 28 of the women who accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault and misconduct, and 3 women who accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. She has also been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
Brooke Averick is a Gen Z Jewish American. She is better known as @LadyEfron on TikTok and has become the app’s Jewish voice of Gen Z. Since making her first video in April, the 24-year-old has gained 500k followers.
Jewish American Community Heritage
There have been Jewish communities in the USA since colonial times. In the 1800s and early 1900s, many Jews left their home countries to come to the US looking for social and economic opportunities. After WWII many Jews came to the USA from the Soviet Union, and the wave of immigration in the 1940s was to find refuge from antisemitism.
Secularism has long played a part in Jewish life in America. Many Jewish Americans (62% in a survey conducted by Pew Research Center) believe that being Jewish is mainly a matter of shared ancestry and culture. Many Jewish Americans also said that it is not necessary to believe in God to be Jewish.
The largest Jewish population centers are the metropolitan areas of New York (2.1 million), Los Angeles (617,000), Miami (527,750), Washington, D.C. (297,290), Chicago (294,280), and Philadelphia (292,450).
Recognition/Support
Every May, hundreds of organizations come together to celebrate the Jewish American experience. Some ways to help recognize Jewish Americans and help contribute are:
1. Donating to the National Museum of American Jewish History: https://www.nmajh.org/jewish-american-heritage-month/
2. Donating to the ADL which helps fight antisemitism: https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/jewish-american-heritage-month-resources
3. Participating in the ADL’s program for teens to fight antisemitism: https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resources-for-educators-parents-families/words-to-action
4. Educating yourself on Jewish American history, culture, and heritage – ADL has many books and resources to learn more: https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/jewish-american-heritage-month-resources
5. Supporting Jewish American owned businesses – Some examples are BEAT by Elliot Saeidy and the Jewish Food Society
Research Coordinator - Sachi Gosal
Illustrations - Ishika Chakraborty
Graphics - Akshaya Shankarganesh
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