[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8379--MAY 12, 2009

Proclamation 8379 of May 12, 2009
Jewish American Heritage Month, 2009
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

The Jewish American tradition exemplifies the strength of the American
immigrant tradition. Since Jews arrived in New Amsterdam in 1654, Jewish
Americans have maintained a unique identity just as they

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have enmeshed themselves in the fabric of the United States. This month
we celebrate this inspiring and unifying narrative.
Jewish Americans across the United States practice the faith and
celebrate the culture of their ancestors. Across the Nation every day,
individuals emulate their forebears by seeking to perform mitzvot, the
hundreds of commandments set forth in the Torah. The term ``mitzvah''
has come to mean ``good deed,'' and many Jews have adopted these
practices to serve their communities. Other mitzvot include observing
holidays, such as Passover, which marks the exodus from Egypt; and Yom
Kippur, a time to contemplate and seek forgiveness for the sins of the
past year; and Shabbat, the weekly day of rest.

The focus on preserving traditions is a notable characteristic of Jewish
culture. Many Jewish religious and cultural practices have developed and
adapted over the millennia, yet the fundamental exhortation to ensure
that long-cherished ways of life are passed on to future generations
remains as strong as ever before. Many Jewish Americans carry on this
belief as they instill these traditions in their children.
Seeking to preserve their culture and start anew, Jewish immigrants have
departed familiar lands to pursue their own American dreams for more
than 300 years. During some periods, Jews sought refuge in the United
States from the horrors and tragedies of persecution, pogroms, and the
Holocaust. During other times, they came to seek better lives and
greater economic opportunities for themselves and their children.
Jewish Americans have immeasurably enriched our Nation. Unyielding in
the face of hardship and tenacious in following their dreams, Jewish
Americans have surmounted the challenges that every immigrant group
faces, and have made unparalleled contributions. Many have broken new
ground in the arts and sciences. Jewish American leaders have been
essential to all branches and levels of government. Still more Jewish
Americans have made selfless sacrifices in our Armed Forces. The United
States would not be the country we know without the achievements of
Jewish Americans.
Among the greatest contributions of the Jewish American community,
however, is the example they have set for all Americans. They have
demonstrated that Americans can choose to maintain cultural traditions
while honoring the principles and beliefs that bind them together as
Americans. Jewish American history demonstrates how America's diversity
enriches and strengthens us all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 2009 as Jewish
American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate the
proud heritage of Jewish Americans with appropriate ceremonies and
activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA