Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller met with several leaders from New Mexico’s Jewish community on Tuesday afternoon to hold a roundtable discussion on their unique experiences and discuss the rise in anti-semitism around the country.
The meeting was held at the Jewish Community Center in Albuquerque and afterwards, the Mayor and the participants gathered for a ceremony where Keller signed a proclamation declaring the city will celebrate Jewish Heritage Month, which falls in the month of May.
This holiday is celebrated by the nation, but this is the first time Albuquerque has officially recognized it.
Upon signing the proclamation, Keller presented it to Shelly Prant, Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque.
Keller explained that the city, whose history is intertwined with the Jewish community all the way back to the first mayor ever elected in Albuquerque, needed to recognize their contributions to its history and understand the challenges faced by them today.
“It’s high time Albuquerque does it, so this was the inaugural session and we really focused on listening and we heard from a lot of the different synagogues, a lot of the different non-profits, holocaust museum about different issues, we covered safety, we covered anti-semitism. But also programming for kids and families and I think we also covered a little bit of history. There’s a long, rich story here that was important to reflect on and share with the community.”