Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on June 4, 2016

On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month, recognizing the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. Jewish American Heritage Month is a month to celebrate the contributions Jewish Americans have made to America since they first arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654.

The focus on preserving traditions is a notable characteristic of Jewish culture. Many Jewish religious and cultural practices have developed and adapted over the millennia, yet the fundamental exhortation to ensure that long-cherished ways of life are passed on to future generations remains as strongas ever before. Many Jewish Americans carry on this belief as they instill these traditions in their children.

Seeking to preserve their culture and start anew, Jewish immigrants have departed familiar lands to pursue their own American dreams for more than 300 years. During some periods, Jews sought refuge in the United States from the horrors and tragedies of persecution, pogroms, and the Holocaust. During other times, they came to seek better lives and greater economic opportunities for themselves and their children.

Jewish American history demonstrates how Americas diversity enriches and strengthens us all.

Read more at these sites:

(Sources:https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2009-05-15/pdf/E9-11587.pdf,http://www.loc.gov/law/help/commemorative-observations/jewish-heritage.php)

Read more from the original source:
Jewish American Heritage Month - Puget Sound ESD

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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