President Declares May 2026 Jewish American Heritage Month

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on May 4, 2026, designating the entire month of May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month, per the White House release.

The proclamation affects approximately 7.6 million Jewish Americans, based on the Pew Research Center's 2020 estimate of the U.S. Jewish population. It calls for observances across federal agencies, schools, and communities to honor Jewish contributions to fields including science, arts, business, and public service.

The designation aligns with prior annual proclamations that have prompted events serving thousands of participants, such as educational programs and cultural exhibits funded through entities like the National Endowment for the Humanities, which supports heritage-related grants reaching over 1,000 projects annually.

Before this proclamation, May 2026 held no official federal designation for Jewish American heritage. The new state establishes May 2026 as a period for national recognition, effective immediately upon issuance on May 4, 2026, with observances to occur throughout the designated month.

The proclamation cites presidential authority under 36 U.S.C. § 101, which allows the president to issue such declarations for national observances.

Federal agencies must now incorporate the designation into their programming, triggering actions like the Department of Education distributing resources for school-based events by early May 2026. State and local governments receive guidance to organize public commemorations, activating networks of over 500 Jewish community centers nationwide to host activities.

The proclamation also sets a timeline for the White House to potentially issue related statements or host events, with planning required to begin within weeks of the May 4 release.

This marks the 20th consecutive annual proclamation for Jewish American Heritage Month, first established by President George W. Bush in 2006 following a congressional resolution. Congress has maintained bipartisan support for the observance, with House Resolution 106 in 2006 directing the president to issue yearly proclamations.