In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month to recognize the contributions made by Jewish Americans to the culture—in the arts, sciences, history, government, and more. 

Honor and celebrate Jewish American poetic voices with this collection of contemporary and classic work, including essays and archival material. 


Contemporary Poems for Jewish American Heritage Month


Patients” by Aurora Levins Morales

Letter Spoken in Wind” by Rachel Galvin

perspectives on the second world war” by Irena Klepfisz

Kaddish, Part I” by Allen Ginsberg

Mazel Tov” by Jessica Jacobs 

Had the Vines Budded, Were the Pomegranates in Bloom” by S. Brook Corfman

If You Knew” by Ellen Bass

Memorial Day for the War Dead” by Yehuda Amichai

Aspen Tree” by Paul Celan 

[Night after night, what she saw in her sleep]” by Yerra Sugarman

The Two” by Philip Levine 

Montpeyroux Sonnets 7” by Marilyn Hacker

From “Elegy in Joy” by Muriel Rukeyser 

Gabriel” by Adrienne Rich

A Patriotic Leading” by Gertrude Stein

Doors opening, closing on us” by Marge Piercy

When Love” by Alicia Ostriker 

The Coming of Light” by Mark Strand 

In the Happo-En Garden, Tokyo” by Linda Pastan

A Part of Speech [As for the stars they are always on] (audio only)” by Joseph Brodsky

Dearly Departed, Again I Dreamt About a Ship” by Camonghne Felix

Politics of Elegy” by Sam Sax

Losing the Narrative” by Lynn Melnick 

Day, Daylong” by Alvin Feinman