May was designated as Jewish American Heritage month in 2006 by President George W. Bush; and it remains a month in which to commemorate the impact Jewish Americans have had on the growth of America. What Jewish American Heritage month can do, within the current climate of antisemitism, is draw attention to how important Jews are to America, since the first Jews immigrated to New Amsterdam onboard the “Jewish Mayflower” in 1654. The poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, “The New Colossus,” was written by Jewish American poet Emma Lazarus in 1883. “God Bless America,” was written by Irving Berlin, a Jew. “Captain America” was created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, also Jews. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was an integral part of American history as he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Selma, Alabama in 1965. Yet, many Jews feel misunderstood and unwelcome in America, forced to confront the sharp rise in antisemitism. President Biden, in a speech to commemorate 2024’s Jewish American Heritage Month, said, “As we celebrate the Jewish American community’s contributions this month, we also honor their resilience in the face of a long and painful history of persecution. Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack on October 7th against Israel marked the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, resurfacing, including here in the United States, painful scars from millennia of antisemitism and genocide of Jewish people. Jews across the country and around the world are still coping with the trauma and horror of that day and the months since. Our hearts are with all the victims, survivors, fami- lies, and friends whose loved ones were killed, wounded, displaced, or taken hostage - including women and girls whom Hamas has subjected to appalling acts of rape and sexual violence. “As I said after Hamas’ terror attack, my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. The recent attack by Iran, firing a barrage of hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, reminds us of the existential threats that Israel faces by adversaries that want nothing less than to wipe it off the map. Together with our allies and partners, the United States defended Israel, and we helped defeat this attack….” President Biden added, “Here at home, too many Jews live with deep pain and fear from the ferocious surge of antisemitism — in our communities; at schools, places of worship, and colleges; and across social media. These acts are despicable and echo the worst chapters of human history. They remind us that hate never goes away — it only hides until it is given oxygen. It is our shared moral responsibility to forcefully stand up to antisemitism and to make clear that hate can have no safe harbor in America.” President Biden additionally said in a speech at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual commemoration recently, “...just seven and a half months later, and people are already forgetting, they’re already forgetting that Hamas unleashed this terror, that it was Hamas that brutalized Israelis, that it was Hamas that took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you. And we will not forget.” At the US Capitol’s Emancipation Hall, President Biden said, “Never forgetting means we must keep telling the story, we must keep teaching the truth. The truth is, we’re at risk of people not knowing the tr The FBI says that in 2022, before the rise in antisemitism after the Israel-Hamas war began, there were over 2,000 religion-based hate crimes, and more than half of those were against Jews. Executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines Jarad Bernstein, said on 5-10 that Iowa’s antisemitic incidents has markedly increased since 10-7. Also on 5-10, Iowa’s Attorney General Brenna Bird made an announcement at the Iowa Holocaust Memorial on the Iowa Capitol grounds that she is launching a new task force that will endeavor to raise awareness of antisemitism, and help law enforcement to eradicate it. The new task force will be composed of 13 members, all of whom are volunteers, said Bird, who will provide training to law enforcement and prosecutors on how to prosecute hate crimes, focusing on antisemitism. Schools and universities will also receive education pertaining to antisemitism. Professor Christina GishHill of Iowa State University says that more education about antisemitism, presented by the task force, is “essential in our current environment.” She says, “My hope is that these student protesters at ISU are not fully aware of the meaning of their messaging.” Attorney General Bird said, “Iowa is not New York, and we are thankful for that. But we will not stand by as any Jewish students are harassed or targeted at their school. And an attorney general, I stand with Israel. I stand with Iowa’s Jewish community. And hate has absolutely no home in Iowa.”
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