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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In the first two months of 2017, anti-Semitic
3events have been on the rise throughout the United States;
4these events are attempts to incite fear and disrupt daily life
5in peaceful communities; and
 
6    WHEREAS, This trend has been seen in Illinois when The Loop
7Synagogue in Chicago was vandalized in early February with
8broken windows and anti-Semitic graffiti that included
9swastikas; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The Chesed Shel Emeth Society cemetery near St.
11Louis, Missouri, which dates back to the late 1800s, was
12vandalized over the President's Day weekend with more than 150
13tombstones damaged or toppled over, an example of a
14long-standing, anti-Semitic practice of desecrating
15cemeteries; and
 
16    WHEREAS, One week later, the Mount Carmel Jewish Cemetery
17in northeastern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was vandalized with
18as many as 500 headstones knocked over or damaged; and
 
19    WHEREAS, A bomb threat was made to the Hyde Park Jewish
20Community Center, one of more than 50 phoned threats to these
21facilities in cities across the nation in recent weeks; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In spite of actions taken against groups based on
2race, religion, or ethnic origin in our country's history,
3America has always come together to denounce and overcome hate
4and stand united for tolerance and inclusion; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we condemn these acts
7of hate and fear, that we will respond to this latest wave of
8threats with love and assistance to victims of these acts, and
9that we will work tirelessly as individuals and a legislative
10body to encourage peace and acceptance in every community in
11our great State.