Miami, FL - President To Proclaim May As Jewish Heritage Month

Miami, FL - President Bush is expected next week to proclaim May of every year as Jewish American Heritage Month.

The proclamation will be the culmination of months of work by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who pushed resolutions through the House and Senate that urged Bush to take action. That's no small feat for a first-term Democrat.

Now it's up to school districts, museums and community groups to make the symbolic designation meaningful. Wasserman Schultz wants these institutions to raise awareness about Jewish contributions to American life, as they have done with Black History Month and Women's History Month.
"We've all observed a precipitous rise in bigotry and anti-Semitism across the country and globally," said Wasserman Schultz. "If through educational and cultural programming we can foster understanding and tolerance, that would be a significant accomplishment."