[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 15 (Monday, April 18, 1994)]
[Page 768]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Proclamation 6665--Jewish Heritage Week, 1994

April 8, 1994

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

    American history is a tapestry woven from the fabric of traditions 
and beliefs from every corner of the globe and bound together by a 
common love for life and liberty. Since our Nation's earliest days, 
Jewish citizens have contributed to our success in virtually every field 
of human endeavor. The Jewish culture, a vibrant and distinctive strand 
in our richly textured tapestry, has helped to give our Nation its 
shape.
    After enduring centuries of hardship and bigotry in nations 
throughout the diaspora, many Jewish people found their ways to 
America's shores. Some came early in our Nation's history, seeking to 
make their mark in a newly free society. Others came in the wake of the 
pogroms or the Holocaust, looking for a government that would protect 
their rights to worship and live as they chose. By boat, airplane, and 
any other means that would carry them, Jewish people came to America and 
infused this great land with a noble heritage based on faith and family, 
with an enduring commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and the ideal of 
justice.
    Though the customs of daily Jewish life have changed markedly over 
the millennia, the central tenets of ancient Judaism have remained a 
constant guide since Moses taught them to his people so long ago. Jewish 
families continue to hand down these lessons to their children, and the 
fundamental lessons of the Torah still serve the faithful today, as we 
seek to renew our land and restore the bonds of community.
    Jewish citizens, along with people of hundreds of other beliefs and 
backgrounds, have found freedom and success in our Nation of immigrants, 
and they continue to make lasting and meaningful contributions to every 
area of our society. Recognizing the positive influence of the Jewish 
people, traditions, and culture within our country, the Congress, by 
Public Law 103-27, has designated April 10 through April 17, 1994, as 
``Jewish Heritage Week,'' and has authorized and requested the President 
to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of April 10 through April 
17, 1994, as Jewish Heritage Week. I call upon the people of the United 
States to observe the week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 
activities.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of 
April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of 
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 2:38 p.m., April 11, 
1994]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on April 9, and it was published in the Federal Register on 
April 13.