[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9868 of April 30, 2019

Jewish American Heritage Month, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As we observe Jewish American Heritage Month, our Nation celebrates
nearly 4,000 years of Jewish history and honors the numerous
contributions of Jewish Americans to our country and the world. Rabbi
Akiva, a great Jewish scholar, declared that a central principle of the
Torah is to ``love thy neighbor as thyself.'' Jewish Americans have
repeatedly demonstrated their dedication to this commandment, helping
the downtrodden and pursue justice, sanctifying the name of God, and
embodying the best of America.
During a Jewish wedding ceremony, it is customary for the newlywed
couple to shatter a glass. This longstanding tradition commemorates the
destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and symbolizes that even during
times of heightened joy, one should remember the painful losses Jews
suffered throughout history. In the same way, all Americans bear a moral
responsibility to stand alongside our Jewish communities and learn the
lessons of tolerance that run through the tragedies that have befallen
the Jewish people--both long ago and, sadly, in recent times. Reflecting
on these events steels our resolve that they never happen again.
Unconscionably, rates of anti-Semitic hate crimes have risen globally,
and Jewish institutions have been vandalized and violently attacked.
This past October, we mourned alongside our Jewish brothers and sisters
following the attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, in which 11 worshippers were killed, making it the
deadliest attack against Jews in American history. Then, on the sixth-
month anniversary of that horrific attack and on the last day of
Passover, we grieved as the Chabad of Poway Synagogue was the target of
yet another act of anti-Semitic violence, in which one worshipper lost

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her life and three others were wounded. As Americans, we unequivocally
condemn the pernicious, baseless hatred that is anti-Semitism.
Our American tradition compels us to reject the source of anti-Semitism.
Following the Revolutionary War, the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode
Island, was unsure if the new American Government would grant them equal
rights, given the persecution and expulsion the Jewish people had faced
in so many times and in so many places. In response, George Washington
penned his famous 1790 letter to the members of Newport's Touro
Synagogue, reassuring American Jews that, in the United States, their
religious liberty would be protected. He further invoked the prophet
Micah, hoping that the ``Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in
this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other
Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and
fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.'' Since then, the
unique American promise of religious liberty for people of all faiths
has remained a proud hallmark of our Republic.
Today, we recognize the resilience of the Jewish community in the face
of great adversity and celebrate the countless ways Jewish Americans
have strengthened our Nation. We echo the words of President Washington
and Rabbi Akiva and stand in solidarity with our American Jewish
neighbors as we reaffirm our commitment to combat all forms of hate and
anti-Semitism.
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 2019 as Jewish
American Heritage Month. I call upon 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 nineteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
third.
DONALD J. TRUMP