(JTA) — President Donald Trump proclaimed May Jewish Heritage Month.
In a statement issued Monday by the White House, Trump said that “Jewish Americans have helped guide the moral character of our Nation.”
President George W. Bush first proclaimed May Jewish Heritage Month in 2006, and his successors have followed suit.
The statement also said: “They have maintained a strong commitment to engage deeply in American society while also preserving their historic values and traditions. Their passion for social justice and showing kindness to strangers is rooted in the beliefs that God created all people in his image and that we all deserve dignity and peace. These beliefs have inspired Jewish Americans to build mutual-support societies, hospitals, and educational institutions that have enabled them and their fellow Americans to advance American society.”
He added: “Through their actions, they have made the world a better place.”
Trump also wrote that the “contributions of the Jewish people to American society are innumerable, strengthening our Nation and making it more prosperous,” noting that Jewish Americans have served in all levels of government and in the U.S. military, as well as contributed to the arts and established philanthropic and volunteer networks. He also noted the Nobel Prizes won by Jewish Americans.
Trump also said that the American Jewish community “is a shining example of how enshrining freedom of religion and protecting the rights of minorities can strengthen a nation. Through their rich culture and heritage, the Jewish people have triumphed over adversity and enhanced our country. For this and many other reasons, the American Jewish community is deserving of our respect, recognition, and gratitude.”
In last year’s proclamation Trump mentioned his daughter, Ivanka, who converted to Judaism, her husband, Jared Kushner, and their Jewish children. He did not mention his family this year.
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