SR0258 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0258 LRB104 13288 ECR 25525 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

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; and

WHEREAS, Jewish American history spans more than 350 years, dating back to the colonial era, 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 by the U.S. Constitution; and

WHEREAS, In the mid-1800s, a wave of German Jewish immigrants, fleeing persecution and economic hardship in search of safety and new opportunity, arrived in the United States; this wave of immigration led to the expansion of Jewish communities across the nation; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Jewish immigration to the United States increased in response to rising antisemitism 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 these and other immigrants were welcomed by Jewish American Emma Lazarus' poem "The New Colossus" that is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in the 1920s, restrictive immigration policies stemmed the flow of new immigrants to the United States, leading to the United States' tragic refusal to accept refugees from Nazi Germany, 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

WHEREAS, There are many key Jewish American figures in Illinois history, including Governor Henry Horner, Governor Samuel Shapiro, Governor JB Pritzker, and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans' cultural backgrounds, degree of religious observance, economic security, and political perspectives are as diverse as the nation itself; and

WHEREAS, In light of heightened antisemitism in America and abroad, expressed openly and violently, it is crucial that the history, heritage, and culture of Jewish Americans be better known, understood, and valued; and

WHEREAS, Jewish American Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the vitality and importance of Jewish Illinoisans whose achievements and contributions enrich our culture, commerce, governance, economy, and education and all aspects of community life in the State; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage Month in the State of Illinois.