The United States recognizes Jewish American Heritage Month each May to celebrate and explore the rich and evolving story of Jewish life in our country—one chapter in a global Jewish narrative spanning more than 3,000 years.
Jews make up just 2.4% of the U.S. population, but they have played an critical role in shaping the nation’s cultural, political, and social fabric, contributing to efforts to advance the well-being of all Americans. At the same time, the United States’ democratic ideals and evolving pluralism created opportunities for American Jews to build institutions and participate in civic life in ways that were often denied to them as a minority group elsewhere. The Jewish community has flourished despite a troubling history of antisemitic discrimination in U.S. immigration policy, education, employment, housing, and social integration. American Jews continue to navigate antisemitism today, alongside persistent mischaracterization as a religious group rather than as an ancient people with a shared history, culture, and ancestral homeland. Today’s American Jewish community is remarkably diverse and becoming ever more so, better reflecting the diversity of global Jewry and embracing multiple ways of understanding and expressing identity.
This collection of K–12 resources invites students and educators to move beyond a “single story” and get curious about the complexity, contributions, and lived experiences of American Jews past and present.
Featured Resources
Lesson
Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month with a mini-lesson on the history, diversity, and contributions of Jewish Americans.
Grades:
6 - 8
9
0
Video
|
Lesson
Discover the dynamic story of Jewish Americans in this brief video lesson. Explore Jewish American identity including the community’s history, culture, challenges, triumphs, and contributions to American society.
Grades:
6 - 8
27
4
Video
Examine Jewish identity by exploring Jewish religion, peoplehood, and ethnicity in this brief video.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
YV-T
10
1
Celebrate JAHM
Educator Guide
Learn about ways to recognize Jewish American History Month (JAHM) and celebrate the contributions and experiences of Jewish Americans who have shaped and been shaped by the cultural, social, and economic fabric of the United States.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 12
6
0
Visual
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Educator Guide
Recognize Jewish American Heritage Month with this poster series and accompanying resources.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 12
9
0
Video
This 30-second promo video offers a quick and upbeat celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month.
4
0
Elementary School
Video
Examine Jewish identity by exploring Jewish religion, peoplehood, and ethnicity in this brief video.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
YV-T
10
1
Book
Enjoy the story of an unexpected friendship between an elderly Jewish woman and a young African-American boy, highlighting shared experiences of hardship, resilience, and connection across cultures.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
1
0
Book
Learn about the story of two men – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rabbi Joachim Prinz, an immigrant from Nazi Germany – who had a shared belief that remaining silent in the face of injustice was wrong.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
2
0
Book
Read about the true story of one man’s mission to preserve Yiddish books; Yiddish was the language of many European Jews that nearly disappeared after the Holocaust.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
2
0
Book
Young readers will learn about how classmates and community come together to fight intolerance when a synagogue is vandalized in this richly illustrated picture book that sings with hope.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
1
0
Book
Explore the Jewish tradition of a naming ceremony through this story about family and community.
Grades:
K - 2
1
0
Book
In a richly illustrated picture book, discover the story of Jewish activist, Henrietta Szold, whose humanitarian work transformed lives in the U.S. and Israel.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
6
1
Video
|
Educator Guide
Students will examine the significant contributions of six Jewish Americans to our society across a range of fields; each had careers promoting justice, affecting change, and making life better for generations to follow.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
2
0
Book
A children’s picture book biography that introduces Emma Lazarus and explores the origins and meaning of her poem “The New Colossus.”
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
2
0
Book
A picture book that introduces students to klezmer music and its roots in Eastern European Jewish culture through a lively, story-driven narrative.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
1
0
Book
A picture book that tells the true story of a friendship between a Jewish musician and a Black scientist, highlighting collaboration across cultural and racial differences.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
1
0
Book
A picture book that traces a Jewish family’s history through a handmade quilt passed down from Eastern Europe to the United States.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
2
0
Book
A picture book that follows a young Jewish Cuban girl as she helps her aunt adjust to a new home and navigates questions of identity, belonging, and change.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
2
0
Book
A picture book that explores the experiences of a young girl navigating multiple identities within her family and community.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
1
0
Middle & High School
Video
|
Educator Guide
Take your students on a journey of the Jewish people, examining a story rich in history, shared experiences, love for Israel, and persistence against hatred.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
19
0
Lesson
While reflecting on their own sense of belonging, students will learn about the diversity of the Jewish people and their strong sense of shared community.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
4
0
Lesson
Explore the visible and invisible layers of the rich and varied identities within the Jewish American community. Confront the pitfalls of “single story” thinking.
Grades:
6 - 8
7
0
Video
|
Educator Guide
Discover how Jewish people made a new life in America and overcame significant challenges to build flourishing communities and a vibrant, diverse future.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
6
0
Lesson
Explore the vibrant diversity of Jewish American identity and the cultural values and traditions that unite the community.
Grades:
6 - 8
9
1
Book
This graphic novel, inspired by a true story, explores injustice during World War II and how it brought together two families, one of Jewish immigrants and the other of Japanese Americans.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
2
0
Book
Take middle school readers through a story of hope as an adopted, pre-Bat Mitzvah girl searches for her biological family and finds connections to the past in the process.
Grades:
6 - 8
1
0
Book
Follow four generations of Sephardic Jewish girls from the same family across centuries and continents as they navigate displacement, resilience, and the search to belong.
Grades:
3 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 12
1
0
Lesson
Explore the history of antisemitism in the United States, with a focus on the late 19th and 20th centuries. Analyze primary sources to uncover how antisemitic ideas spread and write a renewed 21st century promise against bigotry.
Grades:
6 - 8
9 - 12
2
0
Video
|
Lesson
Study the migration of Iranian Jews to Los Angeles and explore how they rebuilt and established themselves in a state of diaspora. Students will understand how how this immigrant community navigated dilemmas and opportunities of life in the United States, focusing on the ways people adapt, preserve, and hybridize culture and identity across the generations.
Grades:
9 - 12
3
0
Video
|
Lesson
Examine the experiences of Mashhadi Jews after immigrating to New York and navigating the challenges and opportunities of adapting to and integrating within American society.
Grades:
9 - 12
1
0
Professional Learning
Educator Backgrounder
Provide students essential context for understanding Jewish American diversity using this fact sheet on peoplehood, culture, and belonging.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 12
8
0
Educator Guide
Discover the stories of Jewish Americans who helped shape the nation’s history from its earliest days to the present.
Grades:
K - 2
3 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 12
NPS
10
0
Book
A nonfiction book that examines contemporary antisemitism and outlines approaches for recognizing and responding to it in modern society.
Grades:
9 - 12
2
0