WHEREAS, May is nationally recognized as Jewish American Heritage Month, first proclaimed in 2006, celebrating more than 350 years of Jewish contributions to the United States and underscoring our nation’s commitment to religious liberty; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have played a vital role in the founding and continued development of the United States, contributing to the nation’s cultural, economic, scientific, and civic advancement across numerous fields, including the arts, entertainment, business, labor, law, medicine, science, and technology, helping to shape the cultural and economic fabric of the nation; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have shaped California since the Gold Rush era—holding the first High Holy Day services in San Francisco in 1849 and organizing congregations, charities, and schools statewide by the 1860s; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Californians have built thriving agricultural enterprises and retail institutions, helped establish the first department stores and nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles, and pioneered the motion picture industry that defined Hollywood, led by figures such as Louis B. Mayer and Jack Warner; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have left an indelible mark on California’s civic and political life, including leaders such as Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, who were elected in 1992—known as the “Year of the Woman”—and went on to serve together, making California the first state in the nation to be represented by two women in the United States Senate; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have played a critical role in advancing civil rights and social justice, including leaders such as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion of gender equality and civil liberties, and Betty Friedan, a leader of the modern feminist movement, all guided by the enduring value of tikkun olam—the responsibility to repair the world—and standing in solidarity with diverse communities to promote equality and human dignity; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Californians have enriched the cultural and artistic life of the state through contributions in literature, music, and film, including artists such as Steven Spielberg and Barbra Streisand, whose work has had global impact; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have played a significant role in the labor movement in California, advocating for fair wages, safe working conditions, and workers’ rights, including leadership in the garment, retail, and entertainment industries in Los Angeles and across the state, where Jewish labor organizers and attorneys helped strengthen protections for immigrant and working-class communities and supported the growth of unions representing film, service, and manufacturing workers, building on the national labor leadership of Sidney Hillman, whose work helped advance workers’ rights and labor protections across the United States; and

WHEREAS, Jewish social service organizations, including Jewish Federations, Jewish Family Services, Jewish Vocational Service, and others, have long provided vital support to immigrants, refugees, low-income families, and other vulnerable populations, offering services such as job training, housing assistance, food security, and refugee resettlement, reflecting a deep and ongoing commitment to strengthening communities across California; and

WHEREAS, Jewish innovators and entrepreneurs have contributed to California’s leadership in science and technology, including transformative advancements in Silicon Valley and strengthening the state’s role as a global hub of innovation; and

WHEREAS, Today, approximately 1,200,000 Jews live in California—the nation’s second-largest Jewish population—including growing numbers of multiracial, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Latino Jews, sustaining a vibrant and diverse network of synagogues, schools, social service agencies, museums, and cultural centers; and

WHEREAS, Between the end of World War II and 1953, more than 135,000 Jews who survived the Holocaust rebuilt their lives in the United States, with an estimated 12,000 Holocaust survivors living in California in recent years, preserving their history and bearing witness for future generations; and

WHEREAS, Successive waves of Jewish immigrants—from Iran, the former Soviet Union, and from Middle Eastern and North African countries including Morocco, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen—have enriched California’s cultural, economic, and civic life while preserving diverse traditions, languages, and customs; and

WHEREAS, Israeli Americans have contributed to California’s dynamic economy and cultural life through entrepreneurship, education, and community building, further strengthening the state’s global connections; and

WHEREAS, Jewish American Heritage Month invites Californians of every background to explore Jewish history, culture, and resilience, honoring generations who helped forge “a more perfect union” and continue to advance the cultural, economic, and civic life of our state and nation; now, therefore, be it