SR0246LRB103 32234 ECR 61427 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Jewish American history spans more than 350
3years, dating back to the colonial era and early European
4settlements in New York, and is woven through every part of
5American history to the present day; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Jewish people played an integral role in
7supporting American independence and the religious freedom
8guaranteed in the establishment of the new nation; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In the mid-1800s, a wave of German Jewish
10immigrants, fleeing persecution and economic hardship in
11search of new opportunity, arrived in the United States; this
12wave of immigration led to the expansion of Jewish communities
13across the nation and the founding of B'nai B'rith, the
14American Jewish Committee, and the National Council of Jewish
15Women; and
 
16    WHEREAS, In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Jewish
17immigration to the United States increased in response to
18rising anti-Semitism in Europe and particularly in response to
19the pogroms in the Russian Empire; more than two million
20Eastern European Jewish people immigrated to the United States
21during this time; and
 

 

 

SR0246- 2 -LRB103 32234 ECR 61427 r

1    WHEREAS, Beginning in the 1920s, restrictive immigration
2policies stemmed the flow of new immigrants to the United
3States; many Jewish Americans opposed these policies, but they
4remained in place, leading to the United States' tragic
5refusal to accept refugees from Nazi Germany and leaving many
6unable to escape the Holocaust; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Jewish Americans and Jewish immigrants to America
8have contributed to every aspect of American culture and
9history, including education, science, business, philanthropy,
10politics, civil rights, and the arts, and key figures in
11American and world history include Jonas Salk, Albert
12Einstein, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg; and
 
13    WHEREAS, In light of continuing and reemerging
14anti-Semitism in America, expressed openly and violently, it
15is crucial that the history, heritage, and culture of Jewish
16Americans be fully known, understood, and valued; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity
18to celebrate the vibrancy and importance of Illinois' Jewish
19American citizens whose accomplishments and contributions
20strengthen and enrich culture, governance, the economy,
21education, and all aspects of community life in the State; and
 
22    WHEREAS, During Jewish American Heritage Month, it is

 

 

SR0246- 3 -LRB103 32234 ECR 61427 r

1fitting for Illinoisans to commemorate and celebrate the
2essential contributions, sacrifices, and accomplishments that
3Jewish Americans have made and continue to make in the State;
4therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May 2023 as
7Jewish American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois.