[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 9, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1569-S1570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 203--RECOGNIZING 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

  Ms. ROSEN (for herself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Cardin, Mr. 
Scott of Florida, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Cassidy, and Mr. Blumenthal) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 203

       Whereas the Senate and the House of Representatives have 
     recognized many heritage months that celebrate the various 
     communities that form the mosaic of the United States;
       Whereas, through recognizing and celebrating heritage 
     months, we learn about one another, honor the richness of the 
     diversity of the United States, and strengthen the fabric of 
     society in the United States;
       Whereas Jewish American Heritage Month has its origins in 
     1980, when Congress enacted a 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 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 2006 and 2005, 
     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 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 United States;
       Whereas the United States has long served as a haven for 
     Jewish people escaping from 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 since grown to 
     over 6,000,000 people, representing approximately 2 percent 
     of the population of the United States in 2023;
       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 of the United states, and so much more;
       Whereas Jewish Americans have been subjected to a recent 
     surge in antisemitism as the Anti-Defamation League's 2022 
     Audit of Antisemitic Incidents tracked 3,697 antisemitic 
     incidents in the United States, representing a 36 percent 
     increase from 2021 and the largest number on record since the 
     Anti-Defamation League began tracking antisemitic incidents 
     in 1979;
       Whereas the rise in antisemitism is being felt by ordinary 
     people in the United States, as a report by the American 
     Jewish Committee revealed that--
       (1) 89 percent of Jewish respondents believe antisemitism 
     is a problem in the United States; and

[[Page S1570]]

       (2) 4 in 10 Jewish Americans reported changing their 
     behavior in at least 1 way out of fear of antisemitism;
       Whereas, over the course of the past decade, Holocaust 
     distortion and denial have grown in intensity;
       Whereas a 2020 survey of all 50 States on Holocaust 
     knowledge among Millennials and Generation Z, conducted by 
     the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, 
     found a clear lack of awareness of key historical facts, 
     including--
       (1) 63 percent of respondents did not know that 6,000,000 
     Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; and
       (2) 36 percent of respondents thought that ``two million or 
     fewer Jews'' were killed;
       Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation has aggregated 
     2021 hate crime data showing that Jewish people remain the 
     single most targeted religious minority in the United States;
       Whereas the use of antisemitic language, conspiracy 
     theories, and hatred has increased on multiple social media 
     platforms, including--
       (1) tropes about Jewish control; and
       (2) messages praising Adolf Hitler and demonizing all 
     Jewish people;
       Whereas the most effective ways to counter the increase in 
     antisemitic actions are through education, awareness, and the 
     uplifting of Jewish voices, while highlighting the 
     contributions that Jewish Americans have made to the United 
     States; 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) recognizes that Jewish American culture and heritage 
     strengthen and enrich the diversity of the United States; and
       (3) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil 
     society leaders to condemn and combat any and all acts of 
     antisemitism.

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