Every year, Jews around the world celebrate Israel’s Independence Day on the fifth of Iyar, aligning our joy with the Hebrew calendar and the rhythms of Israeli life. But for American Zionists, there is another date that deserves renewed attention and pride: May 14.
On that day in 1948, in the late afternoon in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
Then, as the British Mandate formally ended, history accelerated. Just 11 minutes into Israel’s existence, at 6:11 p.m. in Washington, DC, US president Harry S. Truman extended formal recognition. This made the United States the first nation to recognize the Jewish state.
That moment was not inevitable. It reflected moral clarity, political courage, and the tireless efforts of a mobilized American Jewish community that understood the stakes of Jewish sovereignty after the devastation of the Holocaust.
In 1948, the 14th of May and the fifth of Iyar coincided on the calendar. They have aligned again only in 1986 and 2005, and the next time they overlap will be in 2035. Yet it is incumbent upon us to treat those dates as two parts of the same story.
May 14 is a living reminder of the indispensable partnership between Israel and American Jewry. The landmark US recognition a mere 11 minutes after Ben-Gurion’s own declaration would not have been possible without the strong foundation of trust and dialogue that was built in the US-Israel relationship leading up to the milestone. That foundation is why American supporters of Israel could open the doors that made the rapid recognition at 6:11 p.m. a reality.
That includes Eddie Jacobson, a close friend of president Truman who quite literally opened the door, marching unannounced into the Oval Office in 1948 and essentially convincing the president to recognize the new state.
The month of May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate Jews’ profound contributions in the United States. On May 31 this year, it is also when tens of thousands are to march, and over 100,000 are to gather as spectators at the annual Israel Day on Fifth parade in New York.
Nevertheless, May 14 often passes with little notice. That should change.
Remembering America’s recognition of Israel just 11 minutes after its founding underscores that the story of Israel is intertwined with the story of the Diaspora, and especially with American Jewry. The vitality of Israel and the Jewish people worldwide is mutually reinforcing.
The danger of narratives that ignore both history and reality
Recently, some media commentators have sought to question the importance of American Jews or to drive a wedge between the US and Israel. These narratives misunderstand both history and reality. From the early days of statehood to the present, American Jews have played a vital role – politically, economically, culturally, and spiritually – in helping Israel thrive.
The American Zionist Movement stands at the center of this effort. As the umbrella organization of 51 national Jewish Zionist groups, AZM reflects the extraordinary diversity of American Zionism, spanning religious denominations, political perspectives, and ideological traditions.
AZM connects American Jews to the global Zionist movement and serves as a hub for collaboration, education, and advocacy.
We each come to AZM from different parts of the Zionist world – and from the Orthodox and Reform communities, respectively.
Those who know us well would not be surprised to find that we do not agree on every issue. But through AZM, our partnership demonstrates that unity across differences is one of American Zionism’s greatest strengths. On a personal level, we trust each other, collaborate closely, and grow initiatives together. Differences tend to unite us rather than divide us.
By putting relationship-building at the center of AZM’s work, we help ensure that when both the fifth of Iyar and May 14 arrive each year, American Zionists are ready to mark the occasions from a unified perspective.
The diversity within AZM is visible in our educational efforts and public celebrations, such as our co-sponsorship of a float, alongside
The Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization, in the Israel Day on Fifth parade. We show what it means to be proud American Zionists in the 21st century.
Further, when it comes to modern Israel’s history, our roots run deep. AZM’s predecessor, the American Zionist Emergency Council, played a pivotal role in mobilizing American support for a Jewish state.
The 1942 Biltmore Conference in New York articulated a clear call for establishing a Jewish commonwealth in the British Mandate of Palestine, and galvanized political advocacy at the highest levels of the US government. AZEC led the campaign to adopt the Biltmore Conference’s call as the official goal of American Zionism, laying the groundwork for Truman’s recognition six years later.
Zionism has always required both a strong Israel and a strong Diaspora. Aliyah remains a central pillar of the Zionist vision and a critical driver of Israel’s growth and resilience. But an engaged Diaspora is no less essential.
American Jews help sustain Israel through advocacy, philanthropy, innovation, and the exchange of ideas and values. In turn, Israel enriches Jewish life everywhere, serving as a source of identity, inspiration, and connection. May 14 reminds us of that mutually beneficial partnership at its most consequential moment.
This month, let’s go a step further than marching in a parade. Let’s live the values that the parade embodies. Let’s honor May 14 by working more closely together, embracing both our differences and our unity in pursuit of strengthening the State of Israel and the Zionist movement.
On May 14, we encourage you to pause for a moment at 6:11 p.m. Use the moment to acknowledge history, reaffirm the importance of American Zionism, and recommit to building a future in which Israel and the Jewish people continue to flourish alongside each other.
Mark Levenson is president of the American Zionist Movement, and Shoshana Dweck is its national board chairwoman.