Held each May, Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) was established in 2006 to recognize more than 370 years of Jewish contributions to American culture in fields ranging from sports and arts and entertainment to medicine, business, science, government, and military service.
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Last updated: April 15, 2024
General Information
The Library of Congress Jewish American Heritage Month website has a wealth of resources for celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month, including stories about notable Jewish Americans including “From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America” and “Jewish Veterans of WWII." The website also features a teacher curriculum and other online resources.
Additionally, this Toolkit from the Weitzman National Museum of Jewish American History has resources and quick share links to help promote and educate library patrons on Jewish American Heritage Month.
Sample Library Programs
- The Los Angeles (Calif.) Public Library is presenting a talk about the Jewish history of Downtown Los Angeles.
- Pikes Peak (Colo.) Library District made a take-home kit to make a felt flower for Shavuot.
- Skokie (Ill.) Public Library hosted an Israeli Salad Social.
- The New York Public Library will host A Celebration of Klezmer Music with Isle of Klezbos & Friends.
- The Library of Congress hosted two film screenings for Jewish American Heritage Month. The two films were "Baghdad Twist" (about the disappearance of an Iraqi-Jewish family during the Arab-Israel wars) and "Hava Nagila (The Movie)" (about the history of the song "Hava Nagila").
- Americans the Holocaust, a traveling library exhibition, from the American Library Association and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum continues to tour 50 public and academic libraries across the United States.
Book Displays
Create a library book display during Jewish American Heritage Month to share the significant stories of Jewish people who have contributed to the history of America. Book displays can include information about the history of the month and coincide with programming and events related to the recommended titles. Supplement book displays with boards displaying prominent Jewish Americans who have shaped our world and posters.
The American Jewish Committee has created a list of suggested books for library displays, including titles for children, middle schoolers, teens and adults:
- "Jalapeno Bagels" by Natasha Wing (Children)
- "What Was the Holocaust?" by Gail Hermann (Middle schoolers)
- "From Sarah to Sydney: the Woman Behind All-of-a-Kind Family" by June Cummins (Teens)
- "Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew" by Michael Twitty (Adults)
Teaching Resources
- The "For Educators" section of the JAHM website has lesson plans, reading lists, and more.
- Unpacked Education's video on The History of Jewish Life in America
- Chatham University's Jennie King Mellon Library's website on Jewish American History Month features podcasts, books, primary source materials, and other resources.
- The National Endowment for the Humanities offers archives of Jewish history resources on its EDSITEment Web site. The pages provide general information as well as links to featured lessons and Web sites.
- "The Jewish Americans" by David Grubin on PBS.
- "The U.S. and the Holocaust" by Ken Burns on PBS.
Other Resources
You can find general information about Jewish culture as well as related links, bibliographies, music and DVD lists, and more at the following sites:
