As many of you may know, May was Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a month designated to celebrate the contributions and 360+ year history of the Jewish American community. To celebrate and learn more about this rich history, AJC rolled out a campaign and invited stakeholders across our community to join us in celebrating JAHM. This was a great way to raise awareness about the legacy and impact of Jewish Americans throughout our history, including here in San Diego. AJC San Diego worked with lay leaders and local elected officials across the community, speaking in favor of JAHM proclamations, organizing events, and developing educational resources.
The impact of these efforts rippled out across our community. The webpage developed by the San Diego County Office of Education reached thousands of educators and hundreds of thousands of students. At San Diego Unified School District, the board declared May Jewish American Heritage Month for the first time in its history, and board members shared moving remarks about the personal resonance and importance of this historic proclamation. One celebratory event, organized by AJC Sand Diego and hosted at the office of Mayor Todd Gloria, an alum of AJC’s Project Interchange and the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s trip to Israel, brought together Jewish Leaders from across San Diego with City Councilmembers to reflect on the importance of community.
These proclamations and resolutions are steps in the right direction, and the beginning of a deliberate, coordinated effort to incorporate positive narratives about Jewish American history and contributions here in our community. Next year, stay tuned as we expand our Jewish American Heritage Month celebrations and efforts across the community!
