Proclamation 6665

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

American history is a tapestry woven from the fabric of traditions and beliefs from every corner of the globe and bound together by a common love for life and liberty. Since our Nation's earliest days, Jewish citizens have contributed to our success in virtually every field of human endeavor. The Jewish culture, a vibrant and distinctive strand in our richly textured tapestry, has helped to give our Nation its shape.

After enduring centuries of hardship and bigotry in nations throughout the diaspora, many Jewish people found their ways to America's shores. Some came early in our Nation's history, seeking to make their mark in a newly free society. Others came in the wake of the pogroms or the Holocaust, looking for a government that would protect their rights to worship and live as they chose. By boat, airplane, and any other means that would carry them, Jewish people came to America and infused this great land with a noble heritage based on faith and family, with an enduring commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and the ideal of justice.

Though the customs of daily Jewish life have changed markedly over the millennia, the central tenets of ancient Judaism have remained a constant guide since Moses taught them to his people so long ago. Jewish families continue to hand down these lessons to their children, and the fundamental lessons of the Torah still serve the faithful today, as we seek to renew our land and restore the bonds of community.

Jewish citizens, along with people of hundreds of other beliefs and backgrounds, have found freedom and success in our Nation of immigrants, and they continue to make lasting and meaningful contributions to every area of our society. Recognizing the positive influence of the Jewish people, traditions, and culture within our country, the Congress, by Public Law 103-27, has designated April 10 through April 17, 1994, as "Jewish Heritage Week," and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of April 10 through April 17, 1994, as Jewish Heritage Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe the week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighteenth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 2:38 p.m., April 11, 1994]