SENATE RULES COMMITTEE SR 47
Office of Senate Floor Analyses
(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) 327-4478
THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 47
Author: Stern (D), et al.
Introduced: 5/22/25
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT: Jewish American Heritage Month
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution proclaims May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage
Month in California, in solidarity with the national observance, and commends the
Jewish American community for its countless contributions to California’s growth,
innovation, and diversity.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1) Jewish Americans have shaped California since the Gold Rush era—holding the
first High Holy Day services in San Francisco in 1849 and organizing
congregations, charities, and schools statewide by the 1860s.
2) Jewish Californians, often discriminated against for their culture, have
persevered—building thriving farms and retail chains, including the first
department stores and nonprofits in Los Angeles; pioneering the motion picture
studios that defined Hollywood; and long serving in elected and judicial offices,
while championing civil rights guided by the principle of tikkun olam
(“repairing the world”).
3) Today, approximately 1.2 million Jews live in California—the nation’s second
largest Jewish population including growing numbers of multiracial, Asian
American and Pacific Islander, and Latino Jews and sustaining a varied network
of synagogues, schools, social service agencies, museums, and cultural centers
demonstrating the profoundly diverse composition of California’s Jewish
community.
4) Jewish American Heritage Month invites Californians of every background to
explore Jewish history, culture, and resilience, honoring generations who
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helped forge “a more perfect union” and continue to advance the cultural,
economic, and civic life of our state and nation.
This resolution celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month by deepening their
understanding of Jewish history and culture, participating in appropriate programs
and ceremonies, and standing united against antisemitism.
Related/Prior Legislation
HR 40 (Gabriel, 2023) – Adopted in the Assembly
HR 49 (Gabriel, 2021) – Adopted in the Assembly
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No
SUPPORT: (Verified 6/3/25)
None received
OPPOSITION: (Verified 6/3/25)
None received
Prepared by: Sofia Pachon-Mendez / SFA / (916) 651-1520
6/4/25 20:37:15
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