Jewish American Heritage Month

May is Jewish American Heritage Month
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.

Americans protesting Nazi Germany carrying signs.

Americans and the Holocaust

Holocaust history raises important questions about what Europeans could have done to stop the rise of Nazism in Germany and its assault on Europe’s Jews. Questions also must be asked of the international community, including the United States. What did the US government and the American people know about the threats posed by Nazi Germany? What responses were possible? And when?

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Image Credit: Courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places showcases historic properties listed in the National Register and National Park units that commemorate the events and people that help illustrate Jewish Americans' contributions to American history. The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. It is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.

National Park Service

Image credit: Historic American Buildings Survey. Beth Sholom Synagogue, Old York & Foxcroft Roads, Elkins Pk, Montgomery County, PA. 1933. (Library of Congress).

Jewish American Heritage Month—National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration is proud to observe Jewish American Heritage Month and to recognize Jewish contributions to American culture, history, military, science, government, and more.

National Archives

Image credit: A portrait of Albert Einstein by Elin Waite. (National Archives Identifier 6343429)

American Archive of Public Broadcasting's Jewish American Heritage Collection

The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) is a collaboration between the Library of Congress and GBH. The AAPB's Jewish American Heritage Collection provides nearly 400 public television and radio programs from 1945 to 2017 that are available online and focus on social, cultural and religious aspects of Jewish life in America.

American Archive of Public Broadcasting

Image credit: Courtesy of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.

Jewish Veterans of World War II

Fighting Nazi Germany took on special significance for one group of U.S. servicemen in the European Theater. Even those Jewish soldiers and sailors who were serving elsewhere in World War II understood that defeating the Axis would be a defeat for blind hatred of any ethnic group or nationality.

Library of Congress

Image credit: Irving and Lilyan Oblas, 1944

Fundamentals of Teaching the Holocaust

Teaching about the Holocaust can inspire students to think critically about the past and their own roles and responsibilities today. Use the resources below to help develop your approach and to find lesson plans to use in your classroom.