President Trump has called on American Jews to observe a national Shabbos from sundown May 15 to nightfall May 16 in recognition of the nation’s 250 years of independence and the community’s contributions to America.
Trump made the suggestion Monday during his proclamation for Jewish American Heritage Month.
“Celebrating a national Sabbath would honor the countless contributions of Jewish Americans throughout our nation’s 250 glorious years of independence” as well as the Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection and gratitude to God, he said.
Trump highlighted the role of Jewish Americans since the founding, citing Haym Salomon, the Polish-born financier who helped bankroll the American Revolution and co-founded Philadelphia’s first synagogue. Salomon died penniless at 44 and was buried in an unmarked grave.
“Like so many Jewish Americans who follow in his footsteps, Salomon’s legacy stands as a testament to the unshakable belief in the American promise,” Trump said.
He also referenced President George Washington’s 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, in which Washington wrote that the United States “gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”
Trump said his administration is “aggressively fighting the violence against Jewish Americans that increased under my predecessor,” prosecuting criminals and working to combat antisemitism, particularly on college campuses.
“Under my leadership … we are working to end the scourge of antisemitism throughout our institutions,” he said.
Jewish American Heritage Month was first proclaimed by President George W. Bush in 2006 and has been observed annually since. A bipartisan House resolution recognizing the month was introduced recently. The resolution calls on officials and community leaders to counter antisemitism and highlights the contributions of Jewish Americans, including the more than 1 million who have served in the U.S. armed forces since the nation’s founding.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who led the resolution, said the observance helps combat rising antisemitism by educating the public about Jewish contributions to America.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement has encouraged municipalities to recognize the month. More than 200 did so last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment