[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 246 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 246
Recognizing the significance of Jewish American Heritage Month and
calling on elected officials and civil society leaders to counter
antisemitism.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 22, 2025
Ms. Rosen (for herself, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Warnock, Mr.
Lankford, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Risch, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Graham, Mrs.
Gillibrand, Mr. Paul, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Crapo,
Mr. Wyden, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Kelly, Mr.
Moreno, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Moody, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Hagerty,
Mr. Hawley, Mrs. Britt, and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the significance of Jewish American Heritage Month and
calling on elected officials and civil society leaders to counter
antisemitism.
Whereas ``Jewish American Heritage Month'' has its origins in 1980, when
Congress enacted the Joint Resolution entitled ``Joint Resolution to
authorize and request the President to issue a proclamation designating
April 21 through April 28, 1980, as `Jewish Heritage Week''', approved
April 24, 1980 (Public Law 96-237; 94 Stat. 338);
Whereas, on April 24, 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the proclamation for
``Jewish Heritage Week'', and in that proclamation, President Carter
spoke about the bountiful contributions made by the Jewish people to the
culture and history of the United States;
Whereas Congress has played a central role in recognizing ``Jewish American
Heritage Month'' since the Senate and House of Representatives passed
resolutions in 2005 and 2006, respectively, urging the President to
proclaim the national observation of a month recognizing the Jewish-
American community;
Whereas, since 2006, Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden have all issued
proclamations for ``Jewish American Heritage Month'', which celebrates
Jewish Americans and encourages all people of the United States to learn
more about Jewish heritage and the contributions of Jewish people
throughout the history of the United States;
Whereas the people of the United States celebrate the rich history of Jewish
people in the United States and the more than 350-year history of Jewish
contributions to society in the American Colonies and United States;
Whereas the United States has long served as a haven for Jewish people escaping
oppression in search of liberty, justice, and tolerance;
Whereas the Jewish-American community dates back to 1654, when a group of 23
Jewish people, fleeing persecution at the hands of the Portuguese
Inquisition, fled Brazil and found refuge in what is now New York City;
Whereas Jewish Americans have established deep roots in communities across the
United States and served their neighbors and the United States as loyal
and patriotic citizens, always grateful for the safe harbor that the
United States has provided for them;
Whereas the Jewish-American community has grown to over 6,000,000 people,
representing approximately 2 percent of the population of the United
States in 2024;
Whereas Jewish Americans have served in government and the military, won Nobel
prizes, led universities and corporations, advanced medicine and
philanthropy, created and performed in enduring works of performing and
visual art, written great novels, become emblems of justice as members
of the Supreme Court, and so much more;
Whereas, since Hamas' deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, antisemitism
in the United States has reached record highs with incidents targeting
Jews and those who are perceived as Jewish;
Whereas, according to the American Jewish Committee, 77 percent of American Jews
say they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the United States because
of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks;
Whereas, according to the American Jewish Committee, almost 70 percent of
Jewish adults report experiencing antisemitism online, including on
social media;
Whereas, according to Hillel International, 83 percent of Jewish college
students have experienced or witnessed some form of antisemitism since
the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks;
Whereas, in 2024, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 9,354 antisemitic
incidents in the United States, which equals an average of 25 incidents
per day and represents a 344 percent increase in antisemitic incidents
over the previous 5 years and an increase of nearly 900 percent over the
previous decade;
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation has aggregated 2023 hate crime data
showing the highest number of single-bias anti-Jewish hate crime
incidents ever recorded;
Whereas one of the most effective ways to combat antisemitism and hate is
through increasing education and awareness about the contributions
Jewish Americans have made to the United States through the arts,
entertainment, science and technology, the military, the government,
business, culinary traditions, and other fields; and
Whereas, as the strength of a society can be measured by how that society
protects its minority populations and celebrates their contributions, it
is altogether fitting for the United States to once again mark the month
of May as ``Jewish American Heritage Month'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the significance of Jewish American Heritage
Month as a time to celebrate the contributions of Jewish
Americans to the society and culture of the United States;
(2) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil
society leaders to condemn and counter all acts of
antisemitism;
(3) calls on elected officials and State and local leaders
to educate the public on the contributions of the Jewish-
American community and uplift Jewish stories and voices; and
(4) takes all possible steps to ensure the safety,
security, and dignity of American Jews in all aspects of their
lives, including at the workplace, college and university
campuses, synagogues, and home.
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