That Eric Alper

This May, Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) will celebrate the inspiring history and vibrant living culture of Jewish Americans, serving as an antidote to antisemitism by amplifying the true, joyful, and powerful stories of Jewish life in America.

Designated each May by Presidential Proclamation, and stewarded by JAHM’s co-founder, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, JAHM is powered by the Philadelphia-based Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) in partnership with a national coalition of more than 200 cultural, educational, religious, and advocacy organizations, as well as museums and library systems across the country.

“We are honored to lead JAHM because this is the work we do every day here at The Weitzman. JAHM is a celebration of America’s rich and diverse Jewish heritage, and the myriad contributions Jews have made to this country since the dawn of our nation. But it’s also an important opportunity to educate a broad public about who Jews are as a counter to antisemitism, which is at unprecedented levels,” said Dan Tadmor, President and CEO of The Weitzman. “We are grateful for the many national partners who make up the JAHM coalition who ensure vital connections are forged between the Jewish community and the broader American community. Together, we raise awareness of the Jewish American story, as we collectively celebrate our community’s achievements, strengthen our bonds, and counter antisemitism in all its forms.”

JAHM’s partnership coalition is further strengthened this year by new partners including UJA-Federation of New York and Artists Against Antisemitism, and expanded relationships with the American Association of School Librarians, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and JAHM LA.

With new and significant support for JAHM through a grant from UJA-Federation of New York, JAHM 2025 will see an expansion of its national awareness campaign on social media and a variety of marketing channels, as well as an expansion and strengthening of its educational offerings. JAHM will be able to reach more educators with expertly curated educational offerings–and an enhanced website–from organizations across the country that enable them to bring JAHM into their classrooms and libraries this May.

“UJA-Federation of New York is proud to support the expansion of Jewish American Heritage Month and their effort to highlight the impact of Jewish life in America. We are excited to help bring contemporary new lesson plans about the contributions of Jewish history and culture into New York area classrooms, ” said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO, UJA-Federation of New York.

UJA-Federation of New York additionally added a JAHM granting program last fall that focuses on Jewish inclusion in classrooms in New York’s five boroughs. The Weitzman was among the awardees which has enabled the organization to soft launch its new essential curriculum, Stories That Shaped a Nation: Jewish Lives in America in time for JAHM, with a full rollout coming later this year. Stories is a comprehensive curriculum that unpacks the rich and complex question of “Who are Jews?”. It tackles big ideas about peoplehood and diversity, while illuminating the experiences of American Jews and offering insights on contemporary antisemitism. Five lesson plans are currently available on JAHM’s educator resource site along with the projects of the other grantees and JAHM partners, the Institute for Curriculum Services and ConnectEd.

JAHM is thrilled to renew and expand its relationship with the AASL, once again serving as the exclusive sponsor of their Jewish American Heritage Month Collection Development grants, and expanding them this cycle with thanks in part to JAHM’s funder UJA-Federation of New York. This year, 15 school librarians around the country–an increase from 10 last year–will receive $500 grants to enhance the Jewish content in their school libraries, and all applicants will receive printed JAHM posters. Digital poster downloads and companion classroom and professional learning resources are available to all on the JAHM website.

“Creating inclusive collections offer learners context for exploration and celebration of Jewish heritage,” said AASL President Becky Calzada. “Thank you, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, for your support as an educational partner of school libraries in providing this important grant opportunity for our members.”

Los Angeles has served as a model for how a city can embrace JAHM through collaboration and celebration. Building on nearly a decade of JAHM LA celebrations, supported by the allyship of the LA City Council, this year’s programming will honor Jewish American heritage throughout May, highlighting the contributions of the Jewish community to America’s cultural, civic, and artistic legacy. Through a series of opportunities to celebrate, from outdoor programming and resolutions to panel exhibitions and cross-cultural events, Los Angeles will honor JAHM across the region.

Two signature events include:

• The annual Los Angeles JAHM presentation co-chaired by Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, in partnership with JAHM LA, the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California, and JFEDLA, will feature a presentation in LA City Council Chambers celebrating the significant contributions that Jewish Americans have made through music to film.
• Presented by MUSE/IQUE, in partnership with JFEDLA, the Weitzman, and JAHM LA, Welcome to the Dream Factory is a musical journey through Hollywood’s first Golden Age, when many Jewish immigrants, including artists, fled persecution in Europe and came to Los Angeles in the 1930s and ’40s, and helped to transform Hollywood into the entertainment capital of the world and a beacon of opportunity.

JAHM Programming Highlights

JAHM 2025 will feature a series of signature events while also showcasing the work of national community partners throughout May. To serve a broad, national audience, much of the programming will be presented both in person and online.

All signature events will be listed on JAHM’s website here as they are announced.

• Sunday, May 4 | Live from Los Angeles: MUSE/IQUE and The Wallis present Welcome To The Dream Factory – a musical journey through Hollywood’s first Golden Age, highlighting European immigrants, including many Jewish composers, who came to Los Angeles in the 1930s and ’40s and invented the modern art of film scoring.
• Thursday, May 8 | Live at The Weitzman in Philly & Livestream: Eden Grinshpan’s Tahini Baby book launch with Michael Solomonov – Delicious food and hilarious banter. Join for a spirited chat, audience Q&A, and book signing, celebrating bold, veggie-packed flavors and the joy of cooking with two culinary stars.
• Tuesday, May 13 | Live at The Weitzman in Philly & Livestream: Jewish Pride and Team Spirit: Elana Horowitz’s Journey with the Eagles and Beyond: Meet Elana Horowitz—math teacher, proud Jew, and Super Bowl-winning Eagles cheerleader. Don’t miss this conversation about identity, tradition, and empowering the next generation through STEM, spirit, and expression. Presented by The Weitzman in partnership with Tribe 12 and NextGen.
• Sunday, May 18 | Live at The Weitzman in Philly: Dual Heritage Month Family Day – Celebrate Jewish American and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with music, dance, crafts, workshops, and tours for all ages. In partnership with American Jewish Committee, The Weitzman, and Pennsylvania Asian Pacific American Jewish Alliance.

The website JewishAmericanHeritage.org serves as JAHM’s central hub. Stories, lessons, and resources on the JAHM website offer learning opportunities about who Jews are and how they have shaped and been shaped by America across nearly four centuries.

Visitors to the site have access to a free electronic toolkit with fresh content and resources, including a resource guide, posters, shareable social posts, and downloadable graphics. The hashtags #MyJAHM and #OurSharedHeritage drive social media users to post their own content about how they celebrate Jewish American heritage and culture.

Website visitors can access educator-specific resources for in-classroom use and professional learning–newly improved for 2025 and able to be filtered by subject, theme, and grade level.

JAHM began as an effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders. Through the bi-partisan efforts of Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) and the late Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, JAHM was established in 2006 by President George W. Bush to honor the contributions and achievements of Jewish Americans and to educate all Americans. It has been continued every year since then by Presidential Proclamation. Other notable milestones include the formation of a national advisory committee in 2007 to drive the effort forward; NASA Astronaut Garrett Reisman, a New Jersey native and University of Pennsylvania graduate, carrying the original JAHM proclamation into space in 2010, and President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama hosting the first-ever White House reception in honor of JAHM that same year. In 2018, The Weitzman became the home of JAHM and now leads the nationwide effort.

Jewish American Heritage Month is proudly funded by UJA-Federation of New York with additional support from The David Berg Foundation and these national partners. Visit JewishAmericanHeritage.org to learn more.

Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is a national month of recognition of the more than 365-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture, celebrated each May per Presidential Proclamation. JAHM serves as an antidote to antisemitism by lifting up  the indelible contributions American Jews have made, and continue to make, to our nation’s history, culture, and society. JewishAmericanHeritage.org

Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. It proudly stewards one of the largest collections of Jewish Americana in the nation. Standing as a joyful bulwark against antisemitism, bigotry, and hate, The Weitzman serves to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. www.theweitzman.org