HR0500enr 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0500 Enrolled LRB098 12695 GRL 47141 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION 500

WHEREAS, 2013 marks the 170th anniversary of B'nai B'rith International; and

WHEREAS, The organization was founded on the Lower East Side of New York to improve the lives of new German Jewish immigrants to America; and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith is the oldest service organization founded in the United States and has an unparalleled record of aiding humanity in communities throughout the United States and more than 50 other nations (the American Red Cross, which was founded 38 years later, was co-founded by a B'nai B'rith member); and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith has provided over $100 million in cash, medical equipment, and supplies to victims of disasters worldwide since 1868; and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith is a strong and vocal advocate for the promotion of the State of Israel and has had an active presence in Israel since 1888; and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith has had an active presence as an NGO at the United Nations since its founding and is the only Jewish NGO with full-time representation at the United Nations in New York and its agencies in Europe and Latin America; and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith is America's largest Jewish sponsor of federally-funded housing for seniors with limited income, provides safe, comfortable, and affordable housing for seniors without regard for race, religion, and ethnicity, and has an international network of senior living facilities; and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith is widely acclaimed as a forceful advocate for senior citizens, with a special emphasis on protecting Social Security and Medicare and in supporting health care reform for all; and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith has a 100-year record of commitment to cultural diversity, tolerance, and understanding, complemented by the Diverse Minds Youth Writing Challenge, through which high school students write and illustrate books; B'nai B'rith publishes the books for elementary school children, teaching them the values of tolerance and diversity; and

WHEREAS, B'nai B'rith members in local communities provide countless hours of service to local projects to better the communities in which they live; and

WHEREAS, The B'nai B'rith International president, Mr. Allan J. Jacobs, is a resident of Lake Forest; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate October 13, 2013 as B'nai B'rith Day in the State of Illinois.