US President Donald Trump on Friday proclaimed May 2017 Jewish American Heritage Month, marked annually since 2006 across the United States and preceded each year with an announcement by the sitting president.

In a statement late Friday, Trump said he will mark the month with a celebration together with his family, “including my daughter, Ivanka, my son-in-law, Jared, my grandchildren, and our extended family [of] the deep spiritual connection that binds, and will always bind, the Jewish people to the United States and its founding principles.”

“In every aspect of the country’s cultural, spiritual, economic, and civic life, American Jews have stood at the forefront of the struggles for human freedom, equality, and dignity, helping to shine a light of hope to people around the globe,” the statement read.

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The Jewish people, said Trump, “have left an indelible mark on American culture,” adding that “today, it is manifested in the towering success Jewish people have achieved in America through a unique synthesis of respect for heritage and love of country.”

“The achievements of American Jews are felt throughout American society and culture, in every field and in every profession,” he continued, adding that the White House expressed “our Nation’s gratitude for this great, strong, prosperous, and loving people.”

American Jewish Heritage Month was first marked by then-President George W. Bush who on April 20, 2006, issued the first presidential proclamation designating May 2006 American Jewish Heritage Month.

The proclamation was preceded that year by a House resolution that “urges the President to issue each year a proclamation calling on State and local governments and the people of the United States to observe an American Jewish History Month with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.”