WHEREAS, The Jewish American experience is a story of faith, fortitude, and progress. It is a quintessential American experience — one that is connected to key tenets of American identity, including our nation’s commitment to freedom of religion and conscience; and

WHEREAS, Jewish Americans have inextricably woven their experience and their accomplishments into the fabric of our national identity. Generations of Jewish people have come to this nation fleeing oppression, discrimination, and persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their children. These Jewish Americans have created lives for themselves and their families and played indispensable roles in the civic and community life, making invaluable contributions to our state and nation through their leadership and achievements; and

WHEREAS, This year, we also recognize two historic firsts, as America saw Vice President Kamala Harris take the oath of office alongside her Jewish American spouse, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and a Jewish American Charles Schumer, became the first Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish American elected official in our nation’s history; and

WHEREAS, When the late United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as the 107th justice to the United States Supreme Court on August 10, 1993, she became the second woman to sit on this court (Sandra Day O’Connor was the first), the first Jewish justice since 1969, and the first female Jewish justice. Justice Ginsburg turned to her Jewish roots for the title of her final book, published posthumously in March 2021. “Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue” takes its name from a passage in the Torah (Deuteronomy 16:20), which captures the essence of her life’s work. Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer and a tireless fighter for equality and for a more just and inclusive society; and

WHEREAS, Alongside this narrative of achievement and opportunity, there is also a history — far older than the nation itself — of racism, bigotry, and other forms of injustice. This includes the scourge of antisemitism. In recent years, Jewish Americans have increasingly been the target of White nationalism and the anti-semitic violence it fuels; and

WHEREAS, As our nation and state strive to heal these wounds and overcome these challenges, let us acknowledge and celebrate the crucial contributions that Jewish Americans have made to our collective struggle for a more just and fair society: leading movements for social justice, working to ensure that the opportunities they have secured are extended to others, and heeding the words of the Torah, “Justice, justice shall you pursue.”; and

WHEREAS, A central concept in Judaism, “l’dor v’dor”, or “from generation to generation,” recognizes both the continuity of the Jewish people and the intergenerational responsibility we have to heal the world for our children; and

WHEREAS, During Jewish American Heritage Month, we honor Jewish Americans, who, inspired by Jewish values and American ideals, have engaged in the ongoing work of forming a more perfect union; now, therefore, be it