Jewish American Heritage Month

Last week, the White House celebrated the eighth annual Jewish American Heritage Month. As President Obama declared in his proclamation honoring this month, “More than 350 years have passed since Jewish refugees first made landfall on American shores. We take this month to celebrate the progress that followed, and the bright future that lies ahead.”

Over 150 students, organization representatives, and leaders from the American Jewish community gathered in the White House to enjoy a staging of the “Gefilte Fish Chronicles: The Musical”, which was adapted to a musical production following its successful 2007 television premiere. “The Gefilte Fish Chronicles” speaks to the Jewish American experience and to the rich traditions and stories that American Jews have kept alive across the generations.

The audience also had the opportunity to hear from Senior Advisor to the President, Valerie Jarrett, who spoke about the President’s commitment to the American Jewish community and from Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was the driving force behind JAHM’s inception in 2006. We thank them for their participation in this unique event.

Zachary Kelly is Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff and works with the Office of Public Engagement on Jewish outreach.