May is Jewish American Heritage Month, as formally declared in 2006 through presidential proclamation by George W. Bush. During May, Jewish American Heritage Month pays tribute to the Jewish Americans’ contributions to the fabric of American history, society, and culture. We can use this month as an opportunity to educate audiences about Jewish culture and spark conversations about the American Jewish past, present, and future.
READ
Jewish American Heritage Collection - American Archive of Public Broadcasting
“The Jewish American Heritage Collection provides over 400 public television and radio programs from 1945 to 2017 that focus on social, cultural and religious aspects of Jewish life in America.”
Survival to Service: Examining Lives of Hidden Children of the Holocaust - ADL
“This issue of Curriculum Connections provides a lesson plan. Based on the life of a hidden child of the Holocaust, and resources that draw upon individual stories of loss, survival and rescue to raise student awareness about the Holocaust and increase their commitment to moral decision-making and to the role of the individual in combating bias and hate.”
Jewish American Heritage Month - Jewish Women’s Archive
“Every year the president proclaims May Jewish American Heritage Month. The Jewish Women’s Archive invites you to join us in honoring the legacy of American Jewish Women.”
Confronting antisemitism at work - HRDive
“Kimberly Reed, a diversity and inclusion expert and CEO of Reed Development Group, said that consistent company-wide conversations about racial justice are key. “This is why antisemitism has come up again in this space. Because the awareness and the education has gone stale,” Reed said.”
Jewish American Heritage Month - CA.gov
“This Jewish American Heritage Month, we invite you to join us in celebrating the Jewish community in the San Diego region, and especially, the significance of Louis Rose to Old Town San Diego.”
Jewish American Heritage Month - May 2022 - National Today
“Stories of triumph and bravery always get us in the mood for celebrations, and this Jewish American Heritage Month in May is no different. From contributing important scientific discoveries to raising the flag for the abused and neglected, Jewish people have had a huge role to play in where America stands today on the world stage. The more than 350-year history has given us names like Albert Einstein and Ruth Bader Ginsburg — both of whom fought through hard times to emerge victoriously. In order to honor the Jewish communities’ continued achievements, May was declared as Jewish American Heritage Month by former president George W. Bush back in 2006.”
WATCH
The Jewish Americans - PBS
“The Jewish Americans is a three-night documentary that explores 350 years of Jewish American history. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin… it is a journey through time, from the first settlement in 1654 to the present. It is about the struggle of a tiny minority who make their way into the American mainstream while, at the same time, maintaining a sense of their own identity as Jews. Focusing on the tension between identity and assimilation, The Jewish Americans is quintessentially an American story, which other minority groups will find surprisingly familiar.
Joe’s Violin
“In the Oscar-nominated Joe's Violin, a donated musical instrument forges an improbable friendship. 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Joe Feingold and 12-year-old Bronx school girl Brianna Perez show how the power of music can bring light in the darkest of times, and how a small act can have a significant impact. Nominated, 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. A co-presentation of Black Public Media”
Promises - PBS
“What is it really like to live in Jerusalem? Promises offers touching and fresh insight into the Middle East conflict when filmmakers Shaprio, Goldberg and Bolado travel to this complex and charged city to see what seven children — Palestinian and Israeli — think about war, peace and just growing up. Living within 20 minutes of each other, these children are nevertheless locked in separate worlds. Through candid interviews, the film explores a legacy of distrust and bitterness, but signs of hope emerge when some of the children dare to cross the checkpoints to meet one another.”
LISTEN
Funny, They Don’t Look Jewish! - Apple Podcasts
“Where Judaism appears in the panels.” Our purpose is to find characters, stories and issues of comics that explore explicitly Jewish content. This includes stories that contain quotes from Jewish texts/liturgy, characters that embrace openly their heritage. Characters using Hebrew, praying in a synagogue, celebrating Jewish holidays, and living a Jewish experience.”
Israel Story
“Welcome to Israel Story – the award-winning podcast that tells extraordinary tales about ordinary Israelis. Often called “the Israeli ‘This American Life,'” we bring you quirky, unpredictable, interesting and moving stories about a place we all think we know a lot about, but really don’t.”
Streetwise Hebrew - Host Guy Sharett
“A bite-size podcast showcasing modern Hebrew and its slang. Host Guy Sharett explains what we can learn about Israeli psyche, society, and culture through the Hebrew language.”
ATTEND
When Rabbis Bless Congress: The Great American Story of Jewish Prayers on Capitol Hill - National Archives
“Howard Mortman’s When Rabbis Bless Congress is an unprecedented examination of 160 years of Jewish prayers delivered in the literal and figurative center of American democracy. With exhaustive research written in approachable prose, it tells the story of more than 400 rabbis giving over 600 prayers since the Civil War days. The book is an important addition to our understanding of Congress and Jewish contribution to America. Joining Mortman in conversation will be Brian Lamb, founder and former CEO of C-SPAN.”
Virtual Event
Tuesday May 10
1-2pm ET / 10-11am PT
Hidden History Revealed: Through the Lens of Arthur Rothstein - Holocaust Museum LA Webinar
Arthur Rothstein played a pivotal role in the New Deal photo-documentary project that became our nation’s collective memory of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. This was prelude to his sensitive photo-essay depicting the Jewish refugee community stranded in Shanghai after WWII.
Virtual
Wednesday May 25
5pm-6pm PT
Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage: The Museum of Diversity & Tolerance - Beachwood, Ohio
Committed to building bridges of understanding between people of all faiths, races and cultures, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage celebrates individuals whose leadership, vision and humanity have changed our region for the better.
SUPPORT
Anti-Defamation League - Fighting Hate for Good
“ADL is a leading anti-hate organization that was founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry. Today, ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur and continues to fight all forms of hate. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.”
