President Carter, in Issuing his proclamation declaring the week of April 21-28 as Jewish Heritage Week, noted that “Jews have been contributing bountifully to the culture and history of our country” since “the Jewish scientists and mariners who helped Columbus reach the New World. “He said “the Jewish people have richly endowed America and the American way of life. American Jews have made their heritage — a heritage of struggle for freedom, knowledge and human dignity — part of the inheritance of all Americans.”
Noting that Jewish Heritage Week is celebrated each spring, Carter said, “This April is a particularly appropriate month because it contains events of special significance to the Jewish calendar — Passover, the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Israel Independence Day, Solidarity Sunday for Soviet Jews and the Days of Remembrance of Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust.” The President’s proclamation was issued at the request of a joint resolution of Congress. The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York disclosed that it had mobilized Congressional support for the resolution and hailed Carter for signing it.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.