May is Jewish-American Heritage Month

In May American communities are encouraged to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to the United States. It’s a time to acknowledge rich history and impact of Jewish-Americans on American culture, history, and society through various programs and events, and gain better familiarity with their diverse achievements in various fields, including government, military, arts, education, science and more.

Since being proclaimed on April 20, 2006 by the then President George W. Bush, following a concerted effort of many, spearheaded by the Jewish Museum of Florida and introduced as a resolution to US House and Senate by Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Arlen Specter of PA., for 19 years each US President reissued the annual proclamation, reassuring Jewish Americans of their invaluable role in the nation.

Jewish Americans can be traced back as far as 1654 to the time of their arrival to New Amsterdam. They have a proven record of hard work, patriotism, loyalty, harmonious co-existence with neighbors of all creeds and gratitude to the safe harbor of United States at all times, but most specially, in times of escalating antisemitism, the ancient plague that swells up too often.

The word “heritage”, meaning a property that may be inherited vs. the word “history”, meaning a study of past events or artifacts, is substantially more encompassing, allowing for the inclusion and analyses of emotions and reactions to augment the spectrum of factual data and its contextual positioning.

A long-list of Jewish American accomplishments and philanthropy that positively benefits not only Jews but all American groups indiscriminately, intelligently and compassionately and their universal impact are inextricable part of our heritage.

No acts of violence, no calls for extinguishing our light, no threats have ever prevented our strive and, even in grief, we  never forget our underlying core value — as Jewish Americans we prove that we can carry the 371 year-old legacy of American Jewry and the 5785 years of Hebrew legacy into the future.

Please join us in expressing our profound condolences to the families of terror victims, the people of Israel, and all good people mourning everywhere. May their memories be a blessing to everyone who knew Yaron and Sarah. BDE.

FEATURED PHOTO: Marina Berkovich President of JHSSWF & her beloved husband Alex Goldstein

THE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SWFL