MEDIA ADVISORY

Annual Dual Heritage Day Recognizes Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Which Both Happen in May

When: Sunday, May 18, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Where: The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
101 S Independence Mall E, Philadelphia (5th and Market Streets)

What: On May 18, The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) will host a family day of fun to bridge cultures and ignite curiosity in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which both take place in May.

In partnership with the Pennsylvania Asian Pacific American Jewish Alliance (PAPAJA) and the American Jewish Committee Philadelphia/Southern Jersey region, this free celebration of both heritages features music, dance, crafts, art workshops, folk games, and tours.

Schedule:

• 12:45 – 1:00 p.m. Pre-show with folk dances and music (1st Floor)
• 1 – 1:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony with traditional performances and an Interfaith Prayer for Peace (1st Floor)
• 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Eagles Cheerleading Workshop with Elana Horowitz and a few of her fellow Jewish and Asian American teammates (5th Floor)
• 1:45 – 5 p.m.  Diverse Asian Pacific and Jewish cultural folk activities including community artists, choirs, crafting, games, printmaking, face and hand painting, calligraphy, ancient musical instruments, traditional drum mini-workshops, Asian traditional dress try-on experience, and more! (Concourse through 4th Floor)
• 1:45 – 2 p.m.  Asian Drum and Dragon Group Dances (Concourse)
• 2 – 3 p.m. Performances include a variety of Asian Pacific traditional dances and music (Concourse: Auditorium)
• 2:40 – 3:25 p.m. Jewish Music Mini Concert- Russian, Ukrainian, Jewish Music  (5th Floor)
• 3:25 – 3:45 p.m. Korean traditional wedding fashion show, Asian drum performance (5th Floor)
• 3:45 p.m. Perelman Jewish Day School Choir performance (5th Floor)
• 4 – 4:45 p.m. Rak-Dan Entertainment leading a Jewish & Asian Dual Dance Extravaganza including a communal hora (5th Floor)
• Explore the Museum with Weitzman Docent Tours at 2 p.m.!

Participating groups, which are coming from as far as Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, throughout Pennsylvania include Perelman Jewish Day School, Central Bucks Chinese American Association, Kaiserman JCC, Korean Cultural Foundation, Temple University Center for Chinese Language Instruction, Apsara Angels Dance Inc., Guanghua Chinese Association, JKidPhilly, Shaptak Sangeet Niketan, Silambam Dance School – PA, Anti-Defamation League, Korean Motion Troupe, Sounds of Twilight, and Main Line Chinese Culture Center.

The Weitzman leads the national Jewish American Heritage Month effort which celebrates the inspiring history of Jewish Americans, serving as an antidote to antisemitism by amplifying the true, joyful, and powerful stories of Jewish life in America.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a celebration of the contributions that generations of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States have made to American history, society, and culture.

More about Jewish American Heritage Month 2025 in this press release.

Learn more.

High-Resolution Photos from 2024
Credit: Christopher Brown / Shoot from Within

ABOUT THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. Standing as a joyful bulwark against antisemitism, bigotry, and hate, The Weitzman serves to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. www.theweitzman.org

ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN JEWISH ALLIANCE

Established in 2022, the Pennsylvania Asian Pacific American Jewish Alliance is the first and only statewide coalition in the nation seeking to unite the Asian Pacific American (APA/ AAPI) and the American Jewish communities together against rising hate-fueled incidents against both communities. This initiative was launched in partnership with then-Governor Tom Wolf’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and the American Jewish Committee (AJC). As a pioneering effort to build solidarity between these two communities, PAPAJA aims to create real change based on further cementing the cooperation, by building deep understanding between each other, cultivating knowledge on unique common struggles, and working together on issues of common concern. In 2023, PAPAJA marked a significant milestone by organizing the nation’s first Dual Heritage Month Celebration, an initiative that honors the rich heritages of both communities and fosters a deeper, shared understanding.

ABOUT AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE

AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world

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