About Jewish-American Heritage Month

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Jewish Americans have been part of the American experience almost since the beginning. The first arrived from Holland in the mid-1600s, quickly followed by another group of merchants and traders from Brazil and the Caribbean. During the American Revolution, most Jewish Americans were of Sephardic (Arab) descent. Several fought in the Revolutionary War, and many were instrumental in securing financing for the colonies.

In the beginning, Jewish immigrants settled in North Carolina. With the Industrial Revolution and the promise of jobs, New England became the preferred location, with New York, Philadelphia, and Boston boasting the largest populations. The entertainment and tech industries would draw additional migrations to the West Coast.

During the 19th century, as revolution swept through Europe, the first significant wave of Ashkenazi (European) Jews began entering the United States. By the 1880s, over 200,000 had arrived. Wars, famine, and growing racism against Jews and other ethnic groups, coupled with the Industrial Revolution's need for labor and the ability to live and worship freely, increased the number of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. By 1910, 50 percent of those immigrating to the United States identified as Jewish. In 1921, new US immigration laws culled the flow of all immigrant groups, despite the increasing dangers in Europe.

Jewish Americans have been instrumental in the civil rights movement, establishing the entertainment industry and contributing to higher education, the arts, law, and medicine. Jewish Americans first protested the downgrading of US public schools in New York in the 1920s. As a group, Jewish Americans continued to be more active in politics and causes than any other single demographic.

Today, nearly six million persons identifying with the Jewish faith or culture live in the United States, one-third of the global Jewish population. The United States boasts the second-largest population of Jewish persons in the world. Only the state of Israel has slightly more.

Here are five of the most famous Jewish Americans from the past 100 years:

Albert Einstein - One of the most famous scientists of the 20th century, Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who fled Nazi Germany and eventually settled in the United States. He is best known for his Theory of Relativity and his contributions to the development of atomic energy.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg - A former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Ginsburg was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She was known for her advocacy for gender equality and her strong defense of civil rights.
Steven Spielberg - A renowned filmmaker, Spielberg is one of the most successful directors in Hollywood history. He has directed numerous blockbuster films, including Jaws, ET—the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and Schindler's List.
Barbra Streisand - A singer, actress, and filmmaker, Streisand is one of the most successful entertainers in American history. She has won numerous awards for her work, including two Academy Awards, nine Grammy Awards, and a Tony Award.
Mark Zuckerberg - A co-founder of Facebook, Zuckerberg is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in modern history. He has been named one of Time magazine's "100 most influential people" multiple times and has been the subject of numerous biographical works.
Jewish Heritage Month is a month to appreciate the history and contributions of Jewish Americans in building and creating the United States as we know it today.