Very similar to all meaningful heritage and history commemorations, Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many contributions that Americans of Jewish ancestry have made to our country, our world and, indeed, our campus. Therefore, during Jewish American Heritage Month May 2024 at the University of Oregon, we invite you to take advantage of the resources available at the UO libraries, look into the course offerings and programs available through our university’s Judaic Studies Program, and join with others around Oregon and the world to explore close to four centuries of Jewish contributions to all aspects of American society.
Most certainly, one place to start is by perusing the various resources available through the official Jewish American Heritage Month website, which includes an extensive archive from the Library of Congress. We also invite you to re-visit as well as to support the good work of Oregon Hillel, the emerging Jewish American Strategies Group, and our various Jewish student organizations, including the Jewish Student Union, UO Chabad, Greek organizations, and JGrad-UO, a network of graduate students. The Jewish Federation of Lane County, Ahavas Torah and the Jewish Community Relations Council - Lane County also provide community and support for Jewish Americans in Eugene and beyond. Furthermore, we invite you to stay tuned to the UO calendar for speakers and workshops on campus and in the community during the observance of JAHM, including: The Singer Family Lecture, “How to Read Leo Rosten’s Joys of Yiddish” at the Knight Library Browsing Room, on May 7th at 5 pm, “Jews, Prison and Spirituality” at Temple Beth Israel on May 9 at 6:30 pm, “Bridging Divides: Understanding and Confronting Antisemitism and Islamophobia” and a “Workshop for Educators: Understanding and Addressing Antisemitism and Islamophobia”, with Hussein Ibish and David Schraub on campus May 22 and 23.
Jewish American identity can, in fact, be expressed in diverse ways. Some notable commonalities include but are not limited to ancestry, thousands of years of history, rich traditions, special foods, holidays, language, and religion. Like all ethnic groups, Jewish Americans are increasingly diverse, ideologically, economically and demographically. According to a 2020 Pew Research Study, almost 66% of American Jews trace their ancestry to Eastern and Central Europe, with other American Jews tracing their historic ancestry to other parts of the world or to a combination of ancestry. For example, Mizrahi Jews are racially diverse Arabic- and Farsi-speaking Jews, who are indigenous to the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. Sephardic Jews are originally Judeo-Spanish or Latino-speaking Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal to settle in North Africa, the Ottoman Empire as well as in Central and South America, beginning with Spain’s expulsion in 1492. Ethiopian Jews are Amharic-speaking Jews, who originate from Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa.
One of the key factors for designating May to recognize JAHM was the 350th Anniversary of American Jewish History celebrated in May 2004. With that event as a viable foundation, the Jewish Museum of Florida and the South Florida Jewish community leaders together advocated for U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the late U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (1930-2012) to introduce resolutions, which were passed unanimously in the House and Senate. On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed the month of May for Jewish American Heritage Month.
This year’s celebration of Jewish American History Month takes place almost eight months after Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel, including the tragic taking of more than 200 hostages. Israel’s response to uproot Hamas has resulted in the tragic mass loss of innocent lives, property, hospitals and civil institutions. The war has deepened polarization in American society, caused incidents of antisemitism to skyrocket, and further heightened tensions on college and university campuses. As academic institutions seek to understand and provide paths for moving forward, the words of the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg (1933-2020) are instructive:
“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you,” said the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1993 to 2020. Those were not only the words of a wise woman of Jewish heritage but, also, of someone who lived out the meaning of those words in ways that led other Americans to follow her wisdom. As a wife, mother and observant Jewish American, Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg led her life as one of the most impactful U.S. jurists of all time. She worked through the pain of discrimination and studiously assembled theories of gender equity-cum-equality that changed the face of America, while opening the doors of fairness and justice to both disadvantaged women and men, who were being stymied by gender discrimination.
Most auspiciously, as we lean into the discomfort and tragedy of our current wars and conflicts at home and abroad, may we also “fight” with love, authenticity, courage and empathy (LACE-fully) for the people and causes that we care about and to do so, like Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, in a way that leads others to join!
Yvette M. Alex-Assensoh, May 2024