[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 738 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 738
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 19, 2026
Mr. Scott of Florida (for himself, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Graham,
Mr. Paul, Mrs. Capito, Mrs. Moody, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Schumer, Mr.
Hickenlooper, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Warnock, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Duckworth,
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Fetterman, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Slotkin, Mrs.
Murray, and Mr. Kaine) 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 the 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 several prominent Jewish Americans heroically supported the American
Revolution and Jewish community leaders advocated for freedom of
religion for all Americans upon the founding of the Nation;
Whereas, in 1790, President George Washington expressed his support for
religious freedom for Jewish Americans in a letter to the Touro
Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, affirming that the newly founded
United States would give ``to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no
assistance,'' and offered his wishes that ``the children of the Stock of
Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good
will of the other Inhabitants'';
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, 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 the founding of the United States, more than 1,000,000 Jewish-
American men and women are estimated to have served in the United States
Armed Forces, participating in every major American conflict;
Whereas at least 18 Jewish-American members of the Armed Forces have received
the Medal of Honor, the United States highest award for military valor
in combat, of which 4 were presented posthumously;
Whereas, according to his Medal of Honor citation, on June 30, 1862, during the
Civil War, United States Army Private Benjamin B. Levy, ``a drummer boy,
took the gun of a sick comrade, went into the fight, and when the color
bearers were shot down, carried the Union colors and saved them from
capture'';
Whereas, according to his posthumous Medal of Honor citation, on October 26,
1918, during World War I in France, United States Army Sergeant William
Sawelson heard ``a wounded man in a shell hole . . . calling for
water,'' and ``left shelter and crawled through heavy machinegun fire to
where the man lay, giving him what water he had in his canteen,'' and
after returning to obtain more water, ``was killed by a machinegun
bullet'';
Whereas, according to his posthumous Medal of Honor citation, on July 7, 1944,
in the Battle of Saipan during World War II, United States Army Captain
Ben L. Salomon was serving as a surgeon when Japanese troops ``started
overrunning his hospital,'' and he ``stood a rearguard position in which
he had no hope of personal survival, allowing the safe evacuation of the
wounded . . . before being killed himself'';
Whereas, according to his posthumous Medal of Honor citation, between July 23,
1950, and April 20, 1953, during the Korean War, United States Army
Corporal Tibor Rubin, a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to the United
States, was ``severely wounded . . . and subsequently captured by
Chinese forces'' but ``chose to remain in Chinese prison despite offers
of an early release'' and, instead, ``risked his own safety . . . to
find food for other soldiers and provide medical care to the sick and
wounded prisoners'';
Whereas, according to his posthumous Medal of Honor citation, on July 12, 2018,
in Afghanistan, United States Army Sergeant First Class Christopher A.
Celiz ``voluntarily exposed himself to intense enemy machine-gun and
small-arms fire . . . thereby allowing U.S. and partnered forces to
regain the initiative, maneuver to a secure location, and begin
treatment of a critically wounded partnered force member,'' whose life
was saved and, after being hit by enemy fire, he ``motioned to the
aircraft to depart rather than remain behind'' to evacuate him,
sacrificing his own life ``to protect his team'';
Whereas the bravery and valiance of Jewish-American servicemembers, including
those that made the ultimate sacrifice, illustrate the profound
contributions that the Jewish-American community has made to defending
the United States Constitution, freedom, and the American way of life;
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, on May 21, 2025, 2 Israeli Embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and
Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum
in Washington, DC, and the suspect shouted, ``Free Palestine'';
Whereas, on June 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado, several individuals took part in
a peaceful walk organized by ``Run for Their Lives'', showing support
for the hostages still held captive by Hamas;
Whereas, during this walk, an individual shouted ``Free Palestine'' and threw 2
lit Molotov cocktails into the crowd, resulting in multiple injuries,
including severe burns, and the death of Karen Diamond, an 82-year-old
woman from Boulder, Colorado;
Whereas, according to American Jewish Committee, 91 percent of American Jews say
they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the United States due to
violent attacks on American Jews in the past year;
Whereas, according to the Jewish Federations of North America, 50 percent of
Jewish institutions with a physical presence, such as synagogues,
community centers, and day schools, lack the resources to adequately
protect themselves against these rising threats;
Whereas, according to the American Jewish Committee, 73 percent of Jewish adults
report experiencing antisemitism online, including on social media;
Whereas, according to Hillel International, 85 percent of Jewish college
students have experienced or witnessed some form of antisemitism since
the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks;
Whereas, in 2025, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 6,274 antisemitic
incidents in the United States, which equals an average of 17 incidents
per day and represents the third-highest year for antisemitic incidents
since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking this data in 1979, with
incidents remaining 70 percent higher than in 2022 and nearly double
pre-October 7 record highs;
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation has aggregated 2024 hate crime data
showing that reported single-bias anti-Jewish hate crime incidents
reached a new all-time high, comprising roughly 70 percent of all
reported religion-based hate crime incidents in the United States;
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;
(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;
(5) honors the contributions of Jewish-American members of
the Armed Forces who have gone above and beyond the call of
duty to protect freedom; and
(6) commits to protecting religious freedom in America by
ensuring all Americans, including Jewish Americans, can worship
without fear of violence or persecution.
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