Jewish American Heritage Month 2027

About Jewish American Heritage Month

Jewish American Heritage Month looks at the history of Jewish communities in the United States, from the 23 Jewish refugees who reached New Amsterdam, later New York, in 1654, through later waves of immigration, to Jewish Americans' place in the country today. Museums, libraries, synagogues, schools and federal cultural agencies use May for exhibits, lectures, concerts and teaching materials.

The month grew out of a campaign led by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders. Their effort produced resolutions introduced by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania urging the president to proclaim a month honoring Jewish contributions to American life. The House passed its resolution in December 2005 and the Senate followed in February 2006. On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May 2006 as the first Jewish American Heritage Month.

May was chosen because of the success of the 350th anniversary celebration of American Jewish history held in May 2004, which was organized by a commission that included the American Jewish Archives, the American Jewish Historical Society, the Library of Congress and the National Archives. A presidential proclamation has been issued every May since 2006, under presidents of both parties.

Several federal institutions mark the month together, including the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, the National Park Service and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Their shared website gathers online exhibits, recordings and lesson plans. The month is a commemorative observance, not a public holiday.

Sources: Jewish American Heritage Month (Library of Congress and partner institutions): About, American Presidency Project: Proclamation 8005, Jewish American Heritage Month, 2006, Library of Congress: From Haven to Home, 350 Years of Jewish Life in America, Congress.gov: H.Con.Res.315 (109th Congress), Federal Register: Jewish American Heritage Month, 2026. How we check dates.

How to mark Jewish American Heritage Month

• Browse the online exhibits, recordings and teacher resources gathered on the federal Jewish American Heritage Month website.
• Visit a Jewish museum or historic synagogue near you, many of which offer tours and talks in May.
• Read a novel, memoir or poetry collection by a Jewish American writer, or watch a documentary about Jewish immigrant history.
• Explore the history of Jewish life in your own city or state through a local historical society or archive.
• Learn about the 23 Jewish refugees from Brazil who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, and how their community pressed for the rights other settlers had, through the Library of Congress exhibit From Haven to Home.

Jewish American Heritage Month dates