Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on May 24, 2015

Jewish American values are woven into the fabric of American life and have shaped the progress weve made as a country. That history has fundamentally shaped the Presidents personal views and leadership. As he told The Atlantics Jeffrey Goldberg:

"To me, being pro-Israel and pro-Jewish is part and parcel with the values that I've been fighting for since I was politically conscious and started getting involved in politics. Theres a direct line between supporting the right of the Jewish people to have a homeland and to feel safe and free of discrimination and persecution, and the right of African Americans to vote and have equal protection under the law."

Today at 11:00 am ET, in honor of National Jewish American Heritage Month, President Obama will address the Adas Israel congregation in Washington, D.C., the first synagogue in the U.S. to be addressed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Watch his remarks live:

Before the President speaks, he'll meet with a few leaders from the American Jewish community who exemplify the many ways that American Jews contribute to and strengthen our country. And we wanted to share a first look with you.

Rabbi Shira Stutman Sixth & I, Washington, D.C.

As the Director of Jewish Programming at a historic nondenominational synagogue, Rabbi Stutman works daily tobuild the Jewish community for young professionals in the city. To her, the Jewish faith is about recognizing the joy that comes from a community of people who are interested in deepening themselves and bettering the world to bringing justice to all who deserve it and to make that tradition real and relevant for future generations. Her favorite t-shirt reads: This is what a real rabbi looks like.

When my great-grandfather came to America from Russia in the early days of the 20th century, his name was Joseph Address. He kept that name through his journey from Ellis Island to South Philadelphia. And through the years that it took him, a tailor, to scrape together enough money to open his own shop. With his final pennies, he hired someone to write his name, in golden script, on the front window: 'Andress Tailor Shop' it read. The painter has misspelled his name.

"My great-grandfather did not have the English skills to fight it out with the painter, nor did he have the money to get it repainted. So Andress it became. Many immigrants have a story like minenot the exact same story, of course, but a story of a poor ancestor who came to this country with little to nothing and built it into something. I love these stories, romanticized and hyperbolized as they usually are. Once upon a time, we were all strangers here. Once upon a time, no one cared enough to learn our names.

"Too many Americans still feel like strangers in this countryor, even worse, are treated as such by those around them. At the intersection of my family storymy proud Jewish identity, and my proud American identity--is the demand that I work to bring justice to every American, that we learn each others names and stories, that we take responsibility for each other. That we participate in the work of social justice, which requires that we work with directly affected people, recognize our privilege, and use our power to make lasting change that people really need.

Continued here:
National Jewish American Heritage Month: What It Means to ...

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
Tags: