[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 84 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, today I would like to applaud the Senate's 
passage of S. Res. 203, a resolution recognizing Jewish American 
Heritage Month. This resolution is an important reminder of the 
numerous contributions of Jewish Americans to our society.
  I have long felt connected to the Jewish values of ``tzedakah'' and 
``chesed,'' values that, at their core, speak about justice, decency, 
kindness, and mercy. I would not be where I am today if it were not for 
the Jewish Americans who embodied these values, people like Rabbi 
Heschel, who marched side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and 
demanded equality and justice, or leaders like Rabbi Joachim Prinz, who 
fled Berlin in 1937, moved to Newark, NJ, and was one of five people 
who spoke before Dr. King at the March on Washington. Rabbi Prinz's 
entire speech was focused on helping people understand that one of the 
most urgent challenges we face in society is silence, silence in the 
face of injustice. Because of the leadership of so many Jewish 
Americans, who refused to be silent and decided to act, we were able to 
move the moral arc of this Nation towards justice.
  So I stand here in the Senate incredibly proud to represent vibrant 
Jewish communities across New Jersey. And I stand here, at a time when 
anti-Semitism is on the rise, to speak out against this hate that 
violates our most commonly held values. We all have a responsibility to 
stamp out anti-Semitism and remind ourselves that our diversity 
strengthens the society and culture of the United States.
  S. Res. 203 does just that by honoring and celebrating the incredible 
history of the Jewish people in the United States and their 
contributions to our country, and I strongly support this resolution's 
passage.

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