    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    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 pro

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    tecting 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.
    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.
    DONALD J. TRUMP