Community leaders and others came out to the JCC on September 9 to see Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk present an official proclamation, signed by the mayors of all three Lehigh Valley cities, honoring the Lehigh Valley Jewish community as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, approached.

“This Valley is stronger, richer, and more vibrant because of you,” wrote Tuerk, Mayor J. William Reynolds of Bethlehem, and Mayor Sal Panto of Easton. The proclamation went on to cite generations of Jewish contributions to medicine, education, business, philanthropy, and civic life across the region.

The document also directly addressed the anxiety many Jewish Americans are feeling amid rising concerns about antisemitism and communal safety, and pledged continued coordination between local police departments and Jewish institutions, a zero-tolerance approach to threats or vandalism against houses of worship, and a seat at the table for Jewish community leaders on decisions about public safety, education, and community investment.