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Mayor Chadwick presents Jewish American Heritage Month proclamation after council declines separate council resolution
Summary
Mayor Chadwick presented a proclamation recognizing May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month at the May 4 Gahanna City Council meeting after the council declined to adopt a separate council resolution; community members and Jewish Columbus leaders praised the recognition and criticized some council members for not participating in the presentation.
Mayor Chadwick presented a proclamation recognizing May 2026 as Jewish American Heritage Month during the Gahanna City Council meeting on May 4, after the council declined to issue its own separate council resolution.
John Handler, the resident who originally requested the recognition, addressed the council after the proclamation and criticized three council members for not joining the photo at the presentation, saying their absence was “insulting” and that “the 3 of you should be ashamed.” Jonathan Bridal, board chair of Jewish Columbus, thanked the mayor for issuing the proclamation and described the observance as a civic and cultural recognition rather than a religious endorsement. Bridal said public allyship matters, citing what he said were recent rises in antisemitic incidents locally and nationally; those figures were stated by Bridal as part of his remarks and are presented here as his claim.
Bridal urged the council and community to treat Jewish American Heritage Month as an opportunity for learning, saying, in part, “Jewish safety and Jewish belonging should never depend on who is in office.” He also said the month recognizes Jewish history, culture and contributions to civic life.
President Weaver explained the council’s longstanding practice of avoiding faith-based council resolutions, saying the body’s concern was about precedent and the separation of church and state rather than the sentiment behind recognizing a community. Councilmember Bowers, who had sought broader recognition of maternal and perinatal mental health earlier in the meeting, said the proclamation reaffirmed the city’s commitment to dignity and inclusion.
The exchange drew multiple public comments. Handler and other residents said the council’s previous reluctance to approve a council resolution had caused pain in parts of the community; other council members, including Renner and Schnetzer, framed the proclamation as consistent with the city’s prior affirmations of human dignity and condemned antisemitism.
The mayor invited representatives and community members to join the proclamation presentation and allowed brief remarks from those represented. The meeting continued with other agenda items and was adjourned later in the evening.
