[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 86 (Thursday, May 3, 2018)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19599-19600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09587]



[[Page 19597]]

Vol. 83

Thursday,

No. 86

May 3, 2018

Part II





The President





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Proclamation 9731--Jewish American Heritage Month, 2018



Proclamation 9732--Law Day, U.S.A., 2018
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  Federal Register / Vol. 83 , No. 86 / Thursday, May 3, 2018 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 19599]]

                Proclamation 9731 of April 30, 2018

                
Jewish American Heritage Month, 2018

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate the 
                profound contributions that the Jewish faith and its 
                traditions have had on our Nation. Two hundred years 
                ago, in April 1818, Mordecai Noah delivered his famous 
                discourse before the members of America's first 
                synagogue, Congregation Shearith Israel, upon the 
                consecration of their new house of worship. Reflecting 
                on Jewish history as well as on the unique rights and 
                privileges afforded to American Jews, Noah proclaimed 
                that, ``for the first time in eighteen centuries, it 
                may be said that the Jew feels he was born equal, and 
                is entitled to equal protection; he can now breathe 
                freely.''

                Jewish Americans have helped guide the moral character 
                of our Nation. They have maintained a strong commitment 
                to engage deeply in American society while also 
                preserving their historic values and traditions. Their 
                passion for social justice and showing kindness to 
                strangers is rooted in the beliefs that God created all 
                people in his image and that we all deserve dignity and 
                peace. These beliefs have inspired Jewish Americans to 
                build mutual-support societies, hospitals, and 
                educational institutions that have enabled them and 
                their fellow Americans to advance American society. 
                Jewish Americans marched for civil rights in Selma and 
                fought for the freedom of their brethren behind the 
                Iron Curtain. Through their actions, they have made the 
                world a better place.

                The contributions of the Jewish people to American 
                society are innumerable, strengthening our Nation and 
                making it more prosperous. American Jews have proudly 
                served our country in all branches of government, from 
                local to Federal, and they have defended our freedom 
                while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The 
                indelible marks that American Jews have left on 
                literature, music, cinema, and the arts have enriched 
                the American soul. In their enduring tradition of 
                generosity, Jewish Americans have established some of 
                the largest philanthropic and volunteer networks in the 
                Nation, providing humanitarian aid and social services 
                to those in need at home and abroad, acting as a 
                ``light unto the nations.'' Universities and other 
                institutions around the country proudly display Nobel 
                prizes won by Jewish Americans in the fields of 
                medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics.

                In reaction to Mordecai Noah's 1818 discourse, Thomas 
                Jefferson wrote that American laws protect ``our 
                religious as they do our civil rights by putting all on 
                an equal footing.'' The American Jewish community is a 
                shining example of how enshrining freedom of religion 
                and protecting the rights of minorities can strengthen 
                a nation. Through their rich culture and heritage, the 
                Jewish people have triumphed over adversity and 
                enhanced our country. For this and many other reasons, 
                the American Jewish community is deserving of our 
                respect, recognition, and gratitude.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim May 2018 as Jewish 
                American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to 
                celebrate the heritage and contributions of American 
                Jews and to observe this month with appropriate 
                programs, activities, and ceremonies.

[[Page 19600]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                second.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2018-09587
Filed 5-2-18; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F8-P