LibGuides: Jewish Heritage Month @ Taft: Home

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.

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President Joseph R. Biden

A Proclamation on Jewish American Heritage Month, 2023

This month, we celebrate the enduring heritage of Jewish Americans, whose values, culture, and contributions have shaped our character as a Nation. For generations, the story of the Jewish people — one of resilience, faith, and hope in the face of adversity, prejudice and persecution — has been woven into the fabric of our Nation’s story. It has driven us forward in our ongoing march for justice, equality, and freedom as we recommit to upholding the principles of our Nation’s founding and realizing the promise of America for all Americans.

For centuries, Jewish refugees fleeing oppression and discrimination abroad have sailed to our shores in search of sanctuary. Early on, they fought for religious freedom, helping define one of the bedrock principles upon which America was built. Union soldiers celebrated Passover in the midst of the Civil War. Jewish suffragists fought to expand freedom and justice. And Jewish faith leaders linked arms with giants of the Civil Rights Movement to demand equal rights for all.

Jewish Americans continue to enrich every part of American life as educators and entrepreneurs, athletes and artists, scientists and entertainers, public officials and activists, labor and community leaders, diplomats and military service members, public health heroes, and more.

THE HISTORY OF

JAHM began as an effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders.

2006 Through the bi-partisan efforts of Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) and the late Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, JAHM was established in 2006 by President George W. Bush to honor the contributions and achievements of Jewish Americans and to educate all Americans. It’s been continued every year since then by Presidential Proclamation.

2010 NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman, a New Jersey native and University of Pennsylvania graduate, carried the original JAHM proclamation into space

2010 President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama hosted the first-ever White House reception in honor of JAHM.

2018 The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History became the home of JAHM and now leads the nationwide effort, continuing to focus on coalition-building with partners around the country.

MY JEWISH LEARNING

My Jewish Learning is all about empowering Jewish discovery for anyone interested in learning more. We offer thousands of articles, videos and other resources to help you navigate all aspects of Judaism and Jewish life — from food to history to beliefs and practices.

The Jewish Americans (PBS)
The Jewish Americans is a 3 part documentary on the 350 years of Jewish American history. You can view a number of clips from the series here.
Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, The Jewish Americans 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.

The Story of the Jews with Simon Schama (PBS)
A five-part BBC/PBS documentary series covering 3000 years of Jewish history and the impact the Jews have made on the world.
Whether he is amidst the stones of 11th century Judea, the exuberantly decorated cemeteries of Ukrainian hasidic rabbis, the parlors of Moses Mendelssohn’s Berlin or the streets of immigrant New York, Simon Schama brings together memory and actuality, past and present, sorrows and celebrations, vindications and challenges and makes felt the beating pulse of an epic of endurance that has been like no other; a story which belongs to everyone.
Companion book The Story of the Jews by Simon Schama can be found in Main Collection DS118 .S3165 2013 (2 volumes).

concerning Jews & Israel, The Holocaust, Anti-Semitism, American Policy, Jerusalem, Demographic polls, and more.

Jewish Population by [US] State 2023

From World Population Review

GenZ Now - Understanding Jewish Teens Today

From The Jewish Education Project, June 13, 2019

Who are today’s Jewish teens, and what do they care about? With nearly 18,000 respondents, GenZ Now: Understanding and Connecting with Jewish Teens Today, is the largest study of Jewish teens ever conducted in North America, and in partnership with 14 diverse Jewish Youth-Serving Organizations.

GenZ Now co-author Arielle Levites, Ph.D. joins with The Jewish Education Project's Susan Wachsstock, to discuss key findings from the report, implications for the field, and potential opportunities to enhance teen engagement and help Jewish teens thrive in today's world.

How a Recent Wave of Anti-Semitism is Affecting Jewish Teens

NPR "All Things Considered", December 18, 2022

NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks with a group of Jewish teenagers amid a particularly dark year for anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S.: Hannah Rubin, Ben Fitzpayne, and Jaia Wilensky

Jewish Americans in 2020

A report from the Pew Research Center

May 11, 2021

Based on a survey of 4,718 Jewish American adults from Nov. 19, 2019 to June 3, 2020.

including 10 key findings about Jewish Americans

Studies on Jewish Americans

From The Berman Jewish Databank @ The Jewish Federations of North America

Open access to hundreds of quantitative studies on North American and Global Jewry.

Topical Studies

Many studies including on antisemitism, intermarriage, Latino Jews, LGBTQ Jews, education, health & well-being, belief & identity, intergroup relations, and politics & public opinion.

Local Studies by State

Dating back as early as the 1930s in some locations.

The Berman Jewish Databank @ The Jewish Federations of North America acquires, archives and provides open access to quantitative studies and related materials on North American Jews and Jewish communities; promotes use of its resources by its stakeholders; and encourages transparency in the public release and reporting of research on North American Jewry.

The Hulbert Taft, Jr. Library

Jewish Heritage Month @ Taft: Home