America Is Going Full Jew

A Jew walks into LA City Hall and says to David Ryu, the recently elected first Korean American City Councilmember, did you know that May is not only AAPNHI Month but also Jewish American Heritage Month? He replied, I did not know that, why doesn’t anyone know that? We must change that, and we can start by making a program at City Hall. And just like that, after talking with Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, Los Angeles Jewish American Heritage month was born.

May was first proclaimed Jewish American Heritage Month in 2006 by presidential decree, celebrating more than 350 years of Jewish contributions to the United States and underscoring our nation’s commitment to pluralism. Since that time, with the exception of private congressional breakfasts and exclusive White House gatherings that happened mostly out of public view, celebrating JAHM has not been widespread across the country. When in 2017, 10 years after its creation, the City of LA made plans to hold its first JAHM program at City Hall, it was one of the only municipalities to do so at the scale it does.

2025 will mark the ninth year the City Council will celebrate the contributions of Jewish Angelenos and Jewish Americans.  In the beginning the Jewish Historical Society of Southern CA and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles became the inaugural community partners before it was funded as an official LA heritage program. I was blessed to be working for former Councilmember Ryu. I became the volunteer director for Los Angeles JAHMLA. Built out of Jewish pride and on the concept that all communities should share in Jewish culture, the program always includes Jewish and non-Jewish elected officials and participants from all the diverse backgrounds of Los Angeles.

The unique way and early adoption of JAHMLA is why the Weitzman National Museum of Jewish American History and the National JAHM program has chosen Los Angeles as the featured city for JAHM 2025. In addition, California State Senator Henry Stern  (D-Calabasas) has led on a special resolution to commemorate JAHM this year at the State Capitol.

In 2017, when first building JAHMLA, there were many members of the Jewish community who looked puzzled and said, Jewish Pride Month … do we do that? To which I said, of course we do! We have only built from there. In Los Angeles and nationwide, the number of JAHM programs being celebrated in 2025 has grown exponentially.  If you look at the number of JAHM Zooms and events currently run by Jewish and non-Jewish organizations nationwide, the increase is staggering and stands as a beacon against the Jew-hatred that seems to be all around these days.

In Beverly Hills, one of the many programs being offered featured a rugelach bake-off and a Gondi-making contest. The ceremony at Los Angeles City Hall, sponsored by Councilmembers Blumenfield, Yaroslavsky and Park, has music, food and an exhibit, sourced by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures recognizing the Jewish composers who helped write some of the most iconic songs in film. 

As a reflection of the diversity of Jewish LA and in homage to LA’s industry, JAHMLA, in collaboration with Radford Studio Center, JIMENA, Jewtina y Co., Lunar Collective, ICAN, the Jewish Historical Society of Southern CA, the Los Angeles Jewish Federation of Greater LA, the LA Jewish Film Festival and The Weitzman National Museum of Jewish Heritage are hosting an intersectional Jewish film festival. 

The movie selection highlights true but lesser-known stories of Jewish heritage. They include “The Dove Flyer,” the only known movie to have been made in Judeo-Iraqi, and “Persona Non Grata,” that tells the true story of a Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who during WWII defied his government to issue Japanese visas to save the lives of 6000 Jews fleeing Hitler’s Europe. The film series is rounded out by Jewtina y Co.’s screening of “Adio Kerida,” a documentary that takes us on a journey looking back at the stories of Cuban Jewish exile. Under the vision of the LA Jewish Film Festival, the show goes on with Hershey Felder’s “Great American Song Book,” a sing-along concert, of tunes by great 20th-century Jewish American songwriters.

JAHM programs are occurring nationwide in many libraries through a partnership with national library associations. Philadelphia, Washington, DC and New York are options for both virtual and live concerts from Klezmer to Sephardic music ensembles, with joint Asian and Jewish Heritage month programs, diverse food panels and cooking classes and family festivals running the gamut. Whether at the Kennedy Center, college campuses or the Library of Congress, this May the country is alive with more Jewish joy and pride than possibly any  previous JAHM.

JAHM helps strengthen our communities and promotes a sense of belonging, a shared civic life and deeper understanding that helps breakdown stereotypes and hate. According to the National JAHM program, there are hundreds of organizations participating and activating this year. 

The red carpet is being rolled out for Jewish pride and sharing or, as Jewish actor and influencer Jonah Platt called it, the time to go “full Jew.” I started young going full Jew, being the only kid eating matzah in a lunchroom of hundreds talking about what it means to be a Jew.  I guess I was right where I was meant to be given the opportunity to help activate JAHM in Los Angeles.

Through an energized network of organizations led by the Weitzman National Museum, a surge of Jews wanting to do Jewish and share it widely with each other and others has been unleashed; an energy that perhaps has not been seen since the Jews last stood all together at Mt. Sinai.

Like Miriam with her timbrel and joyous song, who led the ancient Israelites across the turbulent yet parted Red Sea, Jews and allies across America are not being deterred by the tide of hate.

From sea to shining sea, let it be known that Jewish Americans still rejoice and contribute in spite of the rise in Jew hatred.

Adeena Bleich is a Jewish community organizer, bridge builder, Mizrahi Jewish Mom by Marriage, and Co-Founder of JAHMLA, to contact her and for a full listing of LA based JAHM month programs follow @jahmla or visit www.jahmla.org