Jewish American Heritage Month
From the Desk of Lori Shepherd, Executive Director Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center
May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to elevate the significant contributions that Jews have made to American arts, music, business, science, education, and public service. At Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, we use the intimate and heartfelt stories of Jews in our local community to proudly celebrate Jewish American Heritage every month, week, and day of the year.
We do this in many ways. One of those is our newest core exhibit titled Pioneering Jews of Southern Arizona. For this exhibit, our team researched and collected the stories of twenty-four Jews who made an impact in Southern Arizona and brought these narratives to life in an interactive, online exhibit. Folks like Charles Moses Strauss, the first Jewish Mayor of Tucson; Rose Silver, the first female county attorney in Arizona; Rabbi Joseph Gumbiner, civil rights pioneer; and Bertie Levkowitz, child Holocaust survivor and co-founder of Tucson Hebrew Academy.
But can teaching the community about their Jewish neighbors really help mitigate hate and fight antisemitism?
Absolutely! At TJMHC, we know that by educating visitors and students on the history of Jews and Jewish life right here in Southern Arizona, we can and do combat antisemitism in Tucson today!
Hate is a by-product of fear, and fear often stems from things and people we don’t understand. But while fear is a natural, instinctive emotion, hate is most often a learned behavior shaped by factors like anger, stress, and social conditioning. By talking about the history of Jews and Jewish life right here in Southern Arizona, we introduce people to a community, a religion, and a culture that may be completely unfamiliar. This new information builds knowledge, reduces stigma, and helps combat the “othering” that can lead to hate and discrimination.
This month is the perfect opportunity for us to celebrate the contribution of Jewish Americans in Southern Arizona and to rededicate ourselves to the battle against the learned behaviors of hate and antisemitism.
Knowing our community, I know that your next question is, “How can I help?”
You can start by celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month with us! Come out to meet some of the amazing pioneering Jews who help us fight Jewish hatred and disinformation every day. Join us at the museum for a tour or a program. Bring your friends and become an ambassador for others by sharing these inspiring stories.
Next, you can help make our work possible with a gift today. As a nonprofit that relies solely on community support, your donation is an investment in TJMHC and directly supports our multi-faceted mission of educating about the Holocaust and other genocides, exploring the legacy of Jewish experiences in Southern Arizona, preserving the first synagogue in the Arizona Territory, and collaborating with Tucson’s diverse community to promote human rights.
When you celebrate the diversity of your community, you are fulfilling the shared obligation of tikkun olam. You are helping to heal a broken world.
Our staff and volunteers look forward to continuing to bring you the proud stories of Jewish life, past and the present, through high-quality educational programming, engaging curatorial content, and powerful cultural offerings. On behalf of the staff and board of directors of Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, thank you for your support. We couldn’t do this important work without you.
Happy Jewish American Heritage Month.
Lori