TO ALL OUR BRIDGE FRIENDS      

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

LABOR DAY LEGISLATION

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

FOUNDER OF LABOR DAY

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

THE FIRST LABOR DAY

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

A NATIONWIDE HOLIDAY

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

THE BRIDGE JOINS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN CONDEMNING THE PURGE OF DOMINICANS OF HAITIAN DESCENT BY PRESIDENT DANILO OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

BROOKLYN   PROTEST AGAINST THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

CONGRESWOMAN CLARK    ASSEMBLYPERSON BICHOTTE
 COUNCILMAN JUMMANE WILLIANS

The Dominican Republic is set to begin what some are calling "ethnic purging," placing the fate of hundreds of thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent into limbo. Half a million legally stateless people could be sent to Haiti this week, including those who have never stepped foot in Haiti and don’t speak the language. In 2013, a Dominican constitutional court ruling stripped the citizenship of children born to Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic as far back as 1929, retroactively leaving tens of thousands without citizenship. Today marks the deadline for undocumented workers to register their presence in the Dominican Republic or risk mass deportation. However, only 300 of the 250,000 Dominican Haitians applying for permits have reportedly received them. Many have actively resisted registering as foreigners, saying they are Dominican by birth and deserve full rights. Dominican authorities have apparently organized a fleet of buses and set up processing centers on the border with Haiti, creating widespread fears of mass roundups. The Dominican Republic’s decision to denationalize hundreds of thousands of people has sparked international outcry. 
                                                     

The Dominican Republic’s decision to denationalize hundreds of thousands of people has sparked an international outcry. Haitian President Michel Martelly has denounced it as "civil genocide." The United Nations protested the ruling, and the U.S. State Department voiced measured disapproval. Meanwhile, Dominican-American writers Junot Díaz and Julia Alvarez, Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat and American writer Mark Kurlansky have united to express their shared condemnation of the decision. They wrote in The New York Times, quote, "One of the important lessons of the Holocaust is that the first step to genocide is to strip a people of their right to citizenship."

UNITED STATES CONGRESS PAYS TRIBUTE TO "THE BRIDGE MCP " AND FOUNDER MARK MEYER APPEL FOR ITS LEADERSHIP IN UNITING ALL OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IN THE FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AS A UNITED PEOPLE

Millions of Americans were riveted by the images of President Obama and former President Bush joining together as the nation commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" Selma March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a major turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, in which countless Jews were involved,THE BRIDGE MULTICULRAL PROJECT AND ITS FOUNDER MARK MEYER APPEL was honored for its continued devotion to advancing civil rights for all Americans and promoting inter-cultural understanding. As the founder of The Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy Project, a unity center that aims to address issues across cultural lines, he is a leader in promoting tolerance among people of all backgrounds.,  Mark Meyer Appel, was acknowledged with the FREEDOM Award at The Jewish American Heritage Month Celebration in Washington DC.  Mark was recognized for his years of dedication to humanitarian causes and his commitment to national social change.  Dozens of Senators,Congessman led by the great civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis  and Congressman Joe Kenedey were present to pay tribute to THE BRIDGE PROJECT. Dozens of Bridge  supporters from around the country were on hand to commemorate Mark and the other honorees for their contributions and achievements.

The audience was riveted as MARK MEYER APPEL praised Congressman Lewis for his heroic act on that day at the bridge in Selma . The work that was begun on that bridge continues today. Mark Appel proclaimed that we are still crossing that bridge, that we have paid our tolls, and that we will continue until we together achieve success for that which  Congressman Lewis risked his life.. "We are all children of one God," Mark Appel exclaimed.  From Fergusen, from Baltimore, and from Crown Heights, we have learned that we must unite as one in pursuit of equal justice for all. This is the American dreamm around the country were on hand to commemorate Mark and the other honorees for their contributions and achievements.

CONGRESSMAN JOE KENNEDY  PRESENTING AWARD TO MARK MEYER APPEL

 CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS CONGRATULATING THE BRIDGE TEAM 

Mark Meyer Appel Being Honored In United States Congress -JEWISH HERITAG...

UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO HONOR MARK MEYER APPEL AND "THE BRIDGE PROJECT" AT THE AMERICAN JEWISH HERITAGE CELEBRATION IN WASHINGTON

                                                             

Every May, the United States Congress continues its decades-long tradition of officially recognizing Jewish American Heritage.  In recent years, an event recognizing several outstanding Jewish Americans has been held on Capitol Hill. This year will be no different, and on May 20, the United States Congress will celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month 2015 by honoring Jewish Americans who have greatly enriched the fabric of American life.  Each year, Congress honors individuals who represent different historical milestones and whose personas are reflective of the current legislative agenda. And whose contributions can help Congress understand how their respective missions apply to their service in Congress.

As the world marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, Judith Kallman, a child survivor, will be recognized for her devotion to telling her story through her book A Candle in the Heart in the hope that speaking out “makes the world a better place and stops the hatred we all have for the strangers or different people in our midst.” This year’s milestone anniversary of the end of the Holocaust makes honoring its survivors and their remarkable stories more important than ever, especially in the face of rising anti-Semitism and intolerance.

Millions of Americans were riveted by the images of President Obama and former President Bush joining together as the nation commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” Selma March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a major turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, in which countless Jews were involved, Mark Meyer Appel will be recognized for his continued devotion to advancing civil rights for all Americans and promoting inter-cultural understanding.  As the founder of The Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy Project, a unity center that aims to address issues across cultural lines, he is a leader in promoting tolerance among people of all backgrounds.

At a time when the country and Congress are grappling with immigration policy, Chief Rabbi Itzhak Yehoshua, President of the Bukharian Rabbinical Council of America, offers an inspiring immigrant success story.  Rabbi Yehoshua immigrated to the United States in 1987, and successfully built the American Bukharian community from what was once a small group into a vast community with over 65,000 members.  Under Rabbi Yehoshua’s leadership, the Bukharian community demonstrated how immigrants integrate into American life while preserving their unique culture and traditions, exemplifying the American Dream.

As many Americans are reconnecting to their heritage, Aish HaTorah International, the largest Jewish outreach organization of its kind in the world, links countless Jewish Americans to their past in a warm, non-judgmental environment, demonstrating that in the United States, people are free to connect to their cultural and religious heritage while simultaneously contributing to the fabric of American life. Founded in 1974, Aish HaTorah International has impacted millions worldwide, with branches now operating in six continents, and over 150,000 people attending its programs each year.    

“Having the United States Congress celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month is a testament to the uniqueness and greatness of the United States of America, which has allowed Jewish Americans to stay true to their faith and to be participants and contributors in all aspects of American life,” said Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group, coordinator of the annual event, and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice President of the NY Board of Rabbis, emcee of the Congressional Program.

                                    

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 30, 2015

Presidential Proclamation --Jewish American Heritage Month, 2015

JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2015

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

From our Nation's earliest days, Jewish Americans have been a critical part of our story.  In the face of unspeakable discrimination and adversity, they have fought tirelessly to realize their piece of the American dream and the promise of our founding, holding tight to the belief that a better day lies ahead.  Their relentless spirit and remarkable achievements have enriched our country, stirred our conscience, and challenged us to extend the miracles of freedom and security.  This month, we honor the vast contributions Jewish Americans have made to our world, and we recommit to standing up for the traditions we believe in and the values we share.

As we celebrate the rich heritage of the Jewish American community, it is impossible to separate their accomplishments from the struggles of Jewish people around the world.  American Jews have worked to strengthen the promise of religious freedom because their ancestors were tested from the moment they came together and professed their faith.  Today, they continue to teach us empathy and compassion, inspired by the lessons of their parents and grandparents who knew how it felt to be a stranger, and to stand up for a more perfect Union for all -- relentlessly pursuing tikkun olam -- because they have always understood that we must recognize ourselves in the struggles of our fellow man. 

This year, Jewish American Heritage Month begins as the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau by American soldiers, and we are once again reminded that the vibrant culture of the Jewish people has not always been embraced.  As tragic events show us all too often, Jewish communities continue to confront hostility and bigotry, including in America.  Our Nation shares an obligation to condemn and combat anti-Semitism and hatred wherever it exists, and we remain committed to standing against the ugly tide of anti-Semitism in all its forms, including in the denial or trivialization of the Holocaust.

In celebrating the contributions of the Jewish people to the progress of our country, we also reaffirm America's unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel and the close bonds between our two nations and our peoples.

For centuries, Jews have reached for the blessings of freedom and opportunity in the United States.  Today -- as pillars of their families and leaders in their communities -- Jewish Americans represent a link in an unbroken chain of perseverance.  During Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate the hard-fought progress won through struggle and sacrifice, and we rededicate ourselves to building a world where diversity is cherished and faith is protected.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2015 as Jewish American Heritage Month.  I call upon all Americans to visit www.JewishHeritageMonth.gov to learn more about the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.  

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

BARACK OBAMA

Presidential Proclamation MAY, 2015 JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2015

Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release April 30, 2015 Presidential Proclamation --Jewish American Heritage Month, 2015 JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2015 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION From our Nation's earliest days, Jewish Americans have been a critical part of our story.  In the face of unspeakable discrimination and adversity, they have fought tirelessly to realize their piece of the American dream and the promise of our founding, holding tight to the belief that a better day lies ahead.  Their relentless spirit and remarkable achievements have enriched our country, stirred our conscience, and challenged us to extend the miracles of freedom and security.  This month, we honor the vast contributions Jewish Americans have made to our world, and we recommit to standing up for the traditions we believe in and the values we share. As we celebrate the rich heritage of the Jewish American community, it is impossible to separate their accomplishments from the struggles of Jewish people around the world.  American Jews have worked to strengthen the promise of religious freedom because their ancestors were tested from the moment they came together and professed their faith.  Today, they continue to teach us empathy and compassion, inspired by the lessons of their parents and grandparents who knew how it felt to be a stranger, and to stand up for a more perfect Union for all -- relentlessly pursuing tikkun olam -- because they have always understood that we must recognize ourselves in the struggles of our fellow man.  This year, Jewish American Heritage Month begins as the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau by American soldiers, and we are once again reminded that the vibrant culture of the Jewish people has not always been embraced.  As tragic events show us all too often, Jewish communities continue to confront hostility and bigotry, including in America.  Our Nation shares an obligation to condemn and combat anti-Semitism and hatred wherever it exists, and we remain committed to standing against the ugly tide of anti-Semitism in all its forms, including in the denial or trivialization of the Holocaust. In celebrating the contributions of the Jewish people to the progress of our country, we also reaffirm America's unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel and the close bonds between our two nations and our peoples. For centuries, Jews have reached for the blessings of freedom and opportunity in the United States.  Today -- as pillars of their families and leaders in their communities -- Jewish Americans represent a link in an unbroken chain of perseverance.  During Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate the hard-fought progress won through struggle and sacrifice, and we rededicate ourselves to building a world where diversity is cherished and faith is protected. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2015 as Jewish American Heritage Month.  I call upon all Americans to visit www.JewishHeritageMonth.gov to learn more about the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.   IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

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