Bill Text: IL SR0246 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Declares May 2023 as Jewish American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-06-26 - Pursuant to Senate Rule 3-9(b) / Referred to Assignments [SR0246 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR0246-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Jewish American history spans more than 350 | ||||||
3 | years, dating back to the colonial era and early European | ||||||
4 | settlements in New York, and is woven through every part of | ||||||
5 | American history to the present day; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Jewish people played an integral role in | ||||||
7 | supporting American independence and the religious freedom | ||||||
8 | guaranteed in the establishment of the new nation; and
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9 | WHEREAS, In the mid-1800s, a wave of German Jewish | ||||||
10 | immigrants, fleeing persecution and economic hardship in | ||||||
11 | search of new opportunity, arrived in the United States; this | ||||||
12 | wave of immigration led to the expansion of Jewish communities | ||||||
13 | across the nation and the founding of B'nai B'rith, the | ||||||
14 | American Jewish Committee, and the National Council of Jewish | ||||||
15 | Women; and
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16 | WHEREAS, In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Jewish | ||||||
17 | immigration to the United States increased in response to | ||||||
18 | rising anti-Semitism in Europe and particularly in response to | ||||||
19 | the pogroms in the Russian Empire; more than two million | ||||||
20 | Eastern European Jewish people immigrated to the United States | ||||||
21 | during this time; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Beginning in the 1920s, restrictive immigration | ||||||
2 | policies stemmed the flow of new immigrants to the United | ||||||
3 | States; many Jewish Americans opposed these policies, but they | ||||||
4 | remained in place, leading to the United States' tragic | ||||||
5 | refusal to accept refugees from Nazi Germany and leaving many | ||||||
6 | unable to escape the Holocaust; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Jewish Americans and Jewish immigrants to America | ||||||
8 | have contributed to every aspect of American culture and | ||||||
9 | history, including education, science, business, philanthropy, | ||||||
10 | politics, civil rights, and the arts, and key figures in | ||||||
11 | American and world history include Jonas Salk, Albert | ||||||
12 | Einstein, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg; and
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13 | WHEREAS, In light of continuing and reemerging | ||||||
14 | anti-Semitism in America, expressed openly and violently, it | ||||||
15 | is crucial that the history, heritage, and culture of Jewish | ||||||
16 | Americans be fully known, understood, and valued; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity | ||||||
18 | to celebrate the vibrancy and importance of Illinois' Jewish | ||||||
19 | American citizens whose accomplishments and contributions | ||||||
20 | strengthen and enrich culture, governance, the economy, | ||||||
21 | education, and all aspects of community life in the State; and
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22 | WHEREAS, During Jewish American Heritage Month, it is |
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1 | fitting for Illinoisans to commemorate and celebrate the | ||||||
2 | essential contributions, sacrifices, and accomplishments that | ||||||
3 | Jewish Americans have made and continue to make in the State; | ||||||
4 | therefore, be it
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5 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
6 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May 2023 as | ||||||
7 | Jewish American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois.
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