The City of Richmond will hold a Jewish American Heritage Month Celebration on May 17, 11 a.m., at Richmond City Hall.
In February, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney distributed a letter encouraging his fellow mayors in the U.S. Conference of Mayors to join him in proclaiming and celebrating JAHM in cities across the nation this upcoming May.
In the letter, Mayor Stoney wrote, “As we’ve seen in the news and in our own backyards, antisemitism has been rising at an alarming rate across the United State. Jewish residents of our respective cities deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and communities. The resurgence of this ancient hatred is a threat not just to Jewish people, but to all who value human dignity, inclusion and compassion.”
In 2006, Congress unanimously passed a resolution urging “the President to issue each year a proclamation calling on state and local governments and the people of the United States to observe an American Jewish History Month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”
Every President from both parties has made such a declaration each year since. See President Biden’s DeclarationL
Mayor Stoney noted, “Formally recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month sends a clear statement of thanks and support to the Jewish community for its many contributions to American culture, and also affirms our commitment to stand with Jewish Americans in opposition to antisemitism and hate in all its forms.”
Mayor Stoney was also a keynote speaker at the Combat Antisemitism Movement’s Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Athens, Greece, in December 2022, alongside New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
