AJC continues in its leadership role during the ongoing celebration of 350 years of American Jewish life. The arrival in 1654 in New Amsterdam of 23 Jews seeking asylum from the inquisition in Brazil was the first page of an extraordinary new chapter in the annals of the Jewish people. The 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in North America continues to represent both an appropriate occasion for public celebrations and an opportunity to communicate the American Jewish experience and to articulate the core values which Jews cherish in America - including the importance of pluralism, church/state separation, and democracy. It is an opportunity to refine how Jews see themselves, changing the message of Jewish identity from one of Jewish forebodings to one of Jewish aspirations. It is a time to share the American Jewish experience with other ethnic and religious groupings, particularly those who are relatively new to America and who have had at best minimal contact with American Jewry. Both at the national and chapter level, AJC has sponsored exhibitions, tours, programs, lectures and essay contests, independently and in collaboration with the consortium of Jewish agencies affiliated with Celebrate 350. As we look forward to the future of American Jewish life, AJC reaffirms the reverence for justice and freedom that have made America the haven it has been for Jews and for all Americans. We are obligated to recognize what American Jewry has achieved over three and a half centuries and to consider and dedicate ourselves to the tasks that lie before us in the future. Related Items: AJC on 350 Years of American Jewish History |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |