123STA T . 3 648PROCL A M AT I O N 83 79— MA Y 12 , 2 0 09 have e nm e s he dt hemse l ves i n the f a br i co f the U nited S tates .T his month w e celebrate this ins p irin g and u nif y ing narrative. J ewish A mericans across the United States practice the faith and cele - brate the culture of their ancestors. Across the N ation every day , indi- viduals emulate their forebears by see k ing to perform mit z vot, the hun- dreds of commandments set forth in the Torah. The term ‘ ‘mitzvah ’ ’ has come to mean ‘‘good deed,’’ and many Jews have adopted these practices to serve their communities. O ther mitzvot include observing holidays, such as P assover, which marks the e x odus from E gypt
and Y om K ippur, a time to contemplate and seek forgiveness for the sins of the past year; and Shabbat, the weekly day of rest. The focus on preserving traditions is a notable characteristic of Jewish culture. M any Jewish religious and cultural practices have developed and adapted over the millennia, yet the fundamental exhortation to en- sure that long-cherished ways of life are passed on to future genera- tions remains as strong as ever before. Many Jewish Americans carry on this belief as they instill these traditions in their children. Seeking to preserve their culture and start anew, Jewish immigrants have departed familiar lands to pursue their own American dreams for more than 30 0 years. D uring some periods, Jews sought refuge in the United States from the horrors and tragedies of persecution, pogroms, and the H olocaust. During other times, they came to seek better lives and greater economic opportunities for themselves and their children. Jewish Americans have immeasurably enriched our Nation. Unyielding in the face of hardship and tenacious in following their dreams, Jewish Americans have surmounted the challenges that every immigrant group faces, and have made unparalleled contributions. Many have broken new ground in the arts and sciences. Jewish American leaders have been essential to all branches and levels of government. Still more Jew- ish Americans have made selfless sacrifices in our Armed F orces. The United States would not be the country we know without the achieve- ments of Jewish Americans. Among the greatest contributions of the Jewish American community, however, is the example they have set for all Americans. They have demonstrated that Americans can choose to maintain cultural tradi- tions while honoring the principles and beliefs that bind them together as Americans. Jewish American history demonstrates how America’s diversity enriches and strengthens us all. NO W , THE R EFORE, I , B ARA C K OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2 00 9 as Jewish American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate the proud heritage of Jewish Americans with appro- priate ceremonies and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of May, in the year of our L ord two thousand nine, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- third. BARACK OBAMA
