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Read, Learn, Celebrate: Jewish American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is an annual celebration of Jewish history, people and culture that takes place every May. JAHM began as a weeklong celebration in 1980 when Congress passed a resolution that authorized the President to proclaim the week of April 21-28, 1980 as Jewish Heritage Week. In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month. According to the American Jewish Committee, “Since 2007, Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden have all issued proclamations for Jewish American Heritage Month, which celebrate Jewish Americans and encourage all Americans to learn more about Jewish heritage and contributions to the U.S.” In this lesson, students will learn about Jewish American Heritage Month and its historical context, read and discuss books about Jewish history, culture and achievements, and will consider ideas for celebrating JAHM in May and throughout the year.
Exploring Antisemitism and Interrupting Hate
Antisemitism is often referred to as the “longest form of hatred.” A lot of people think that antisemitism first appeared with the Holocaust and then went away after WWII, but it’s actually a system of bias that has persisted and evolved throughout time. This lesson invites students to explore how antisemitism has manifested across different eras, and provides an opportunity to think through ways that they can interrupt antisemitism and other forms of hate in their everyday lives.