LibGuides: Jewish American Heritage Month (May 2024): History & Education

Brief Assorted History Points of Jewish Heritage Month in the US.

America's Jewish community is largely "Ashkenazi" - Jews who trace ancestry to Germany and Eastern Europe
- The first Jews who arrived in the United States were Sephardic - those who trace ancestry to Spain and Portugal.
There were three major waves of American Jewish immigration
- Sephardic Jews in 1654
- German Jews in 1840s
- Eastern European Jews in the 1880s, estimated to be over 2 million immigrants
1784 - 100 Jews serve in the Continental Army and state militias
- 1790 - George Washington assures that the United States government "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."
1924 - Congress severely limits Eastern & Southern Europe immigration; American Jewish population becomes predominantly native-born
1930 - Jewish communities' numbers has risen to over 4 million immigrants (3.5% of US population at the time)
1963 - Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodger pitcher, named "Most Valuable Player" by National League
1980s - U.S. Congress passes bill to allow President Carter to designate a special week in either April or May for Jewish Heritage celebrations.
2006 - Jewish American Heritage Month is established on April 20 by President George W. Bush.

Anti Defamation League's Antisemitism in America - a researched article chronicling the history of anti-Jewish sentiment and Nazism in the United States, up until modern times.
American Jewish Historical Society's 360 Years of American Jewish Life - an interactive timeline showcasing the history of Jewish immigration in the United States, up until 2015.
Jewish American Heritage Month - a government website listing exhibits and collections across the United States, as well as JAHM events.
The Jewish Americans - a free film produced by WETA and commissioned by the National Endowment for the Humanities that showcases the lives of Jewish Americans across 350 years of Jewish American history.
NEH's Virtual Bookshelf - a list of learning centers, book collections, and programs centering on Jewish Heritage and JAHM.
National Today's Jewish American Heritage Month FAQ - a FAQ, timeline, and history of JAHM.
American Archive's Jewish American Heritage Collection - a searchable collection of over 400 public television and radio programs from 1945 to 2017 pertaining to Jewish life in America.
American Jewish Archives - a timeline of American Jewish history from the 1500s to the modern era. Includes publications, programs, and events.