[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