SR0246 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0246 LRB103 32234 ECR 61427 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Jewish American history spans more than 350 years, dating back to the colonial era and early European settlements in New York, and is woven through every part of American history to the present day; and

WHEREAS, Jewish people played an integral role in supporting American independence and the religious freedom guaranteed in the establishment of the new nation; and

WHEREAS, In the mid-1800s, a wave of German Jewish immigrants, fleeing persecution and economic hardship in search of new opportunity, arrived in the United States; this wave of immigration led to the expansion of Jewish communities across the nation and the founding of B'nai B'rith, the American Jewish Committee, and the National Council of Jewish Women; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Jewish immigration to the United States increased in response to rising anti-Semitism in Europe and particularly in response to the pogroms in the Russian Empire; more than two million Eastern European Jewish people immigrated to the United States during this time; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in the 1920s, restrictive immigration policies stemmed the flow of new immigrants to the United States; many Jewish Americans opposed these policies, but they remained in place, leading to the United States' tragic refusal to accept refugees from Nazi Germany and leaving many unable to escape the Holocaust; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans and Jewish immigrants to America have contributed to every aspect of American culture and history, including education, science, business, philanthropy, politics, civil rights, and the arts, and key figures in American and world history include Jonas Salk, Albert Einstein, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg; and

WHEREAS, In light of continuing and reemerging anti-Semitism in America, expressed openly and violently, it is crucial that the history, heritage, and culture of Jewish Americans be fully known, understood, and valued; and

WHEREAS, Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the vibrancy and importance of Illinois' Jewish American citizens whose accomplishments and contributions strengthen and enrich culture, governance, the economy, education, and all aspects of community life in the State; and

WHEREAS, During Jewish American Heritage Month, it is fitting for Illinoisans to commemorate and celebrate the essential contributions, sacrifices, and accomplishments that Jewish Americans have made and continue to make in the State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May 2023 as Jewish American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois.