Since the early days of the United States, Jewish Americans have significantly contributed to various fields such as law, art, science, and medicine. This month, President Donald J. Trump has proclaimed May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage Month to honor these contributions.
The proclamation reflects on the historical journey of Jewish people in America. "The New World allowed those Jewish people emigrating from Europe to freely practice their faith without persecution," it states. President Trump draws from a letter by President George Washington sent to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport in 1790. Washington's message wished that “the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.”
However, recent years have seen an increase in anti-Semitic incidents. The proclamation highlights that since October 7, 2023, there has been a rise in violence against Jewish communities both domestically and internationally. It mentions attacks on college campuses and city streets where individuals wearing yarmulkes were assaulted.
President Trump asserts his administration's commitment to confronting anti-Semitism: "I say that at home and abroad, on college campuses and in city streets, this dangerous return of anti-Semitism — at times disguised as anti-Zionism, Holocaust denialism, and false equivalencies of every kind — must find no quarter."
The proclamation concludes with a call for Americans to celebrate Jewish heritage through programs and activities throughout May 2025.