MAY IS JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

MAY IS JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

“The United States would not be the country we know without the achievements of Jewish Americans.”—President Barack Obama

Website Showcases Events & Activities Nationwide

CINCINNATI, OH—April 2010—May 2009. President George W. Bush proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month in 2006. Most recently, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation on May, 12, 2009. This month-long celebration aims to raise the national consciousness regarding contributions Jewish Americans have made to our country’s heritage.  This year also marks one of the newest and least likely of White House Traditions, the Obama Passover Seder.

Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) May 2010 is expected to be the most comprehensive and widely celebrated to date through a variety of events and programs nationwide. This year marks the appointment of its first-ever national coordinator and federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), substantial support from The Manischewitz Company and alliance with BIO Channel of A&E Networks. JAHM will also expand its impact nationwide with an unprecedented number of highly charged programs and activities for all.

Well-known personalities like Barbara Streisand, Levi Strauss, Sandy Koufax, Estee Lauder, Jonas Salk and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are among the prominent Jews who have contributed to our culture. These and other American Jews are profiled on the newly launched website, www.jewishamericanheritagemonth.us , which serves as an interactive clearinghouse for programs and activities across the country.  Visitors to the site have the opportunity to enter events in their own communities; learn about national programming and garner ideas for local celebrations. The site also provides teacher resources and links to additional sites and resources, including the federal government’s Jewish American Heritage Month website, www.jewishheritage.gov. Visitors to www.jewishamericanheritagemonth.us can also sign up for regular email updates to keep informed of new developments. Never before has there been a central address for JAHM activities, programs, and events across the country.

In 2010 JAHM has a national coordinator Abby Schwartz, who is based in Cincinnati, at the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA). Schwartz oversees the JAHM Coalition which consists of the leadership from major national Jewish historical and cultural organizations nationwide. She also works closely with the office of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who initiated the congressional resolution to make JAHM a reality.

In addition, with BIO Channel of A&E Television Networks. In honor of JAHM 2010, BIO Classroom, which airs on the BIO Channel and features an interactive website online, will devote its four May programs to the following Jewish individuals who have had a major impact on American history and culture: Anne Frank, Albert Einstein, Bobby Fischer and Jon Stewart. BIO Classroom airs every Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. EST.

For the first time since its inception in 2006, JAHM has received federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In addition, The Manischewitz Company has come on board as a corporate sponsor, utilizing its considerable reputation as the country’s largest kosher food manufacturer to help make JAHM a household word.

This year a variety of organizations and institutions in our nation’s capital are expected to participate in JAHM 2010 with events and programs Confirmed events to date include the following:

JEWISH MUSEUM OF FLORIDA: Sunday, May 2: a special exhibition, Florida Jews in the Military, will be presented in honor of JAHM along with a panel discussion that addresses the experience of Floridian Jews who have served in a variety of military conflicts.

JEWISH MUSEUM MILWAUKEE: May 13: Lecture Luncheon by former Milwaukeean and Jewish Museum member Dr. Hasia Diner, the Paul S. And Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History; Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, History, and Director of the Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History at New York University.

THE BREMAN JEWISH HERITAGE & HOLOCAUST MUSEUM (ATLANTA): The Breman will host programs in May celebrating JAHM in connection with the exhibition Dr. Seuss Goes to War…& More. Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, is well known for his numerous children’s books, but few know his work as a political cartoonist during World War II.

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Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is a national month of recognition of the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture, celebrated in May. JAHM acknowledges the contributions of American Jews in fields ranging from sports and arts and entertainment to medicine, business, science, government, and military service.