Nebraska becomes first state to launch Jewish American Heritage Month
Nebraska becomes first state to launch Jewish American Heritage Month
On May 5, Israel's Independence Day, during a celebratory event at the Nebraska Capitol Building, Governor Pete Ricketts made the historic decision to declare May Jewish American Heritage Month in Nebraska, becoming the first head of state to do so, writes The Jerusalem Post journalist Zvika Klein.
He also announced the formal adoption by the State of Nebraska of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Anti-Semitism. That being said, the number of US states that have adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition is now 26 (plus the District of Columbia), meaning that most states now officially recognize it. “We are seeing an alarming rise in anti-Semitism across the country,” Ricketts said. “Here in Nebraska, we are not immune to this. Someone painted a swastika on the synagogue here in Lincoln. We see this growth of anti-Semitism and must actively fight against it. We need to let people know that we will stand up to hate." “When we see anti-Semitism, we must immediately take very decisive steps to combat it,” he said. "That's why we want to make this statement,
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Oded Forer sent a letter of thanks to Ricketts for adopting the IHRA's working definition of anti-Semitism and the close ties between Israel and Nebraska. In a letter read at the event, Forer praised "a significant gesture in recognition of the profound and significant contributions that American Jews have made and continue to make to Nebraska in particular and to the United States as a whole." The event was supported by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM), which is the leading proponent of the IHRA definition and has worked towards its acceptance and endorsement in the US and around the world.
Other partners included the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Women's Zionist Organization of America Hadassah, the Weizmann National Museum of American Jewish History, and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights. Representatives from each of Nebraska's eight synagogues and the Jewish Federation of Omaha attended.
“With the approval of the State of Nebraska, most US states have now adopted the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism, which is now a watershed for its success, meaning that only a minority of states have yet to do so,” said a CAM board member and former US Special Representative for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism Elan Carr. “While there is still resistance to the IHRA definition, it is a minority voice that is increasingly being silenced by decision makers. And opinion makers in the United States and around the world who support it with their authority and leave less room for anti-Semites to express their hatred and intolerance, ”he said.
Holocaust survivor Milton "Milt" Kleinberg of Nebraska stated, "I'm Jewish and I've always loved the free state of Nebraska. I could move my business to Texas, but I have a house in Nebraska, and our governor is my friend.” Other speakers included Israeli Consul General for the Midwest Yinam Cohen and Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnan. Since 2016, 37 countries and nearly 900 organizations around the world have adopted the IHRA's working definition of anti-Semitism, including the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, Australia and France, CAM reported in March. According to the 2020 American Jewish Yearbook, Jews make up just 0.5% of Nebraska's population. Arizona voted two weeks ago to adopt the IHRA's working definition of anti-Semitism. In addition, the state of Ohio adopted this definition in an executive order three weeks ago.