Trump proclaims first National Shabbat in the U.S.

Donald Trump at an event on combating antisemitism in Bedminster, New Jersey. Photo: open sources

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on May 4, 2026, establishing the first National Shabbat in the country’s history as part of Jewish American Heritage Month. The proclamation was published on the White House website.

In the document, the U.S. president noted the contribution of American Jews to the country’s development and separately referred to George Washington’s 1790 letter to the Jewish community of Newport, which spoke of the inadmissibility of religious persecution.

According to the text of the proclamation, "From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16, friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great Nation. This day will recognize the sacred Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection, and gratitude to the Almighty."

The initiative is linked to the program of events marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. The proclamation also states the intention to continue countering antisemitism and violence against the Jewish community, including on university campuses, while the president called the protection of religious freedom one of the basic principles of the state.

As the UOJ reported, young people in the U.S. are converting to Orthodoxy en masse. In recent years, religion has regularly featured in the U.S. public agenda, including issues of freedom of conscience, interfaith relations, and the role of religious communities in public life.

A National Shabbat had not previously been proclaimed as a separate presidential initiative in this format. In the proclamation, it is presented as part of the May commemorative events connected with Jewish American heritage and nationwide religious themes.

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