This year, º£½ÇÂÒÂ× is celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month by sharing the stories of prominent Jewish Americans who are featured on various Jewish American Heritage posters for 2026.
Much like Ezra, Maurice Sendak is a children’s author and illustrator who was born to Polish parents in Brooklyn, New York. Maurice wrote and illustrated over 100 children’s books, including Where the Wild Things Are, As I Went Over the Water,Ìýand more. Maurice’s illustrations were largely the result of independent study, as he was almost exclusively self-taught. He remains the most honored children’s illustrator in history, having received the Caldecott Medal in 1964, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1983, and the National Medal of Arts in 1996, among others.
Emma Lazarus was a poet and activist best known for her ±è´Ç±ð³¾Ìý“The New Colossus,” which is inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Despite coming from a wealthy family, Emma worked as an aide on Ward’s Island, assisting Jewish immigrants who immigration officials had detained. She was also involved in various charity efforts to support refugees. The impacts of these experiences, along with her own Portuguese Sephardic Jewish heritage, are reflected in her poetry.
Judy Blume is yet another well-known author whose 29 titles range from children’s books to adult novels and everything in between. Her well-known titles include Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,ÌýBlubber, and the Fudge Series. Given the wide variety of topics Judy’s books have covered and her desire not to shy away from sensitive subjects, she is often found on banned-authors lists. Instead of giving in to the pressure of these bans, Judy is incredibly involved with the National Coalition Against Censorship and has received countless accolades for this work. Blume is also the founder of an independent, non-profit bookstore in Key West, Florida.
Rabbi Buchdahl is known for breaking down barriers. She was the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi in North America and is the first woman to lead New York’s Central Synagogue’s Reform congregation. Her background of being born in Korea but being raised by her interfaith parents in the United States uniquely prepared her to overcome the challenges of being a trailblazer within the Jewish Community, and is the focus of her bestselling memoir,ÌýHeart of a Stranger.Â
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the first Jewish woman, and the second woman ever, to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice Ginsburg’s career is often defined by her work to fight against gender discrimination, which began early in her academic career. In 1971, she helped in founding the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project and became the first woman to receive tenure from Columbia Law School in 1972. Her time on the bench was spent in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980 before being nominated to the Supreme Court in 1993. As a justice, she continued her work advocating for gender equality, often writing the court’s opinion or dissent letters on such cases.
Judith “Judy” Heaumann is widely regarded as “The Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.” Judy began using a wheelchair after contracting polio as a child and faced significant discrimination, being denied the right to attend school as a child and then as a teacher by her local school district for being a “fire hazard.” After suing the New York Board of Education, she became the first wheelchair user to teach in the state. She is most well-known for leading the 504 Sit-In in San Francisco and her work on the development and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Michael Twitty is a culinary historian who examines the traditions of African American foodways and its impact on food culture in the American South. Michael believes in culinary justice, which honors the Ancestors, builds for the future, and celebrates heritage through food. He also has a special interest in identity cooking and, as a Jewish African American, he specifically explores the melding of Kosher and Soul food. He is the author of The Cooking Gene. Michael’s work is an important reminder that food plays an essential role in shaping culture and has a history that should not be forgotten.
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. This month, which has been federally designated since 2006, recognizes the contributions Jewish Americans have made to the United States. Before becoming a heritage month, Jewish Heritage Week has been celebrated since 1980. “Jewish Americans have worked to improve the conditions of marginalized groups across the nation, including during the Civil Rights Movement,” said Governor Whitmer in her 2026 for Jewish American Heritage Month.