President Proclaims Jewish Heritage Week 2002

President Bush has proclaimed April 14-21 to be Jewish Heritage Week 2002, urging "all Americans to learn about the history of Jewish Americans and to participate in activities that highlight the accomplishments of these citizens."

In celebrating Jewish Heritage Week, Bush said, "we reflect with joy upon the many contributions Jewish Americans have made to the arts, education, industry, science, and our very way of life. The values and traditions of Judaism have contributed greatly to our culture and history; and they have played a major role in the success of our great Nation." Complete Text

Arab-American Doctor Named to Senior Medical Post in Bush Administration

Washington — Dr. Elias Zerhouni, President Bush's nominee to head the National Institutes of Health, is both a medical expert known for his innovations in radiology and a skillful administrator at one of America's best medical schools. If the Senate confirms his nomination, he will also be one of several Arab-Americans and Muslim Americans to fill a top administration job in the U.S. government. Complete Text

Palestinian-Born Author Talks of His Life in the United States

Shaw Dallal came to the United States as a teenager in the 1950s with $27 in his pocket and the advice of an American missionary to strive for the best. Now the author of "Scattered Like Seeds" and a professor at Cornell University, he says of his life full of achievements, "It could only happen in America."

"You think about the young 16-, 17-year-old kid who comes from peasantry, working his way through college," he said. "I worked in the library at Cornell University. I worked on farms. I dug ditches. I worked in factories. I washed dishes. And I tell you, I look back at it with awe." Complete Text