Jewish Heritage Week, 2000

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7302 of May 2, 2000

Jewish Heritage Week, 2000

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

For centuries, Jews from every corner of the globe have
come to America seeking the right to worship in freedom
and to pursue their individual hopes and dreams in
peace. For many, the journey was a desperate flight
from oppression and persecution to a new life in a new
country. Bolstered by powerful family and community
ties and drawing strength and hope from their ancient
religious traditions, Jews in America not only survived
the difficult transition, but also thrived.

From science and the arts to business and the law; as
teachers, physicians, journalists, judges, musicians,
and policymakers; from neighborhood stores to the
corridors of Congress; from the Armed Forces to the
Supreme Court, generations of American Jews have
succeeded in every sector of our society. And the
rewards of that success are shared by us all. Our
Nation has benefited immeasurably from the character,
values, and achievements of our Jewish citizens.

Building on the Jewish tradition of hospitality toward
strangers and acutely aware of the long and tragic
history of prejudice and persecution against their
people, Jews in America have committed themselves to
tolerance, justice, human rights, and the rule of law.
American Jews have shared their resources generously
with health and human services programs, civil rights
groups, educational institutions, arts organizations,
and so many more. In communities across our Nation, in
small towns and big cities, synagogues and yeshivas
have become centers of community service and civic
responsibility.

During Jewish Heritage Week, let us acknowledge and
give thanks for the many contributions that Jews have
brought to our national life and character, and let us
celebrate the rich religious and ethnic threads that
Jewish men and women have woven into the tapestry that
is America.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim May 7 through May 14, 2000,
as Jewish Heritage Week. I urge all Americans to
observe this week with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
second day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand, and of the Independence of the United States
of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.