H.Res. 1251

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1251 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 1251

In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

May 13, 2026.
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 House of Representatives and Senate 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 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, since the Nation's founding, 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 soldiers, airmen, and Marines 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 rear-guard 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 provid[e] 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 Constitution, freedom, and the American way of life;
Whereas the frequency of antisemitic incidents targeting Jews and those who are 
perceived as Jewish in the United States has reached record highs;
Whereas, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, anti-Jewish bias 
accounted for two-thirds of religion-based hate crime incidents, and 
Jewish Americans were the targets of 15 percent of all recorded hate 
crimes, despite constituting just 2 percent of the United States 
population;
Whereas, according to the 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 against 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 on 
their university campus;
Whereas, according to the American Jewish Committee, 38 percent of American 
adults do not personally know someone who is Jewish, and 30 percent are 
unfamiliar with the meaning of the term ``antisemitism''; and
Whereas one of the most effective ways to combat antisemitism and hate is 
through education and awareness of the contributions Jewish Americans 
have made to the United States through the arts, entertainment, science 
and technology, military, government, business, culinary traditions, and 
other fields: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society 
leaders to condemn and counter all acts of antisemitism;
(2) calls on the executive branch and State and local leaders to 
educate the public on the contributions of the Jewish-American community 
and uplift Jewish stories and voices;
(3) takes all possible steps to ensure the safety, security, and 
dignity of Jewish Americans in all aspects of their lives, including the 
workplace, college and university campuses, synagogues, and at home;
(4) honors the contributions of Jewish-American servicemembers who 
have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect freedom; and
(5) commits to protecting religious freedom in America by ensuring 
all Americans, including Jewish Americans, can worship without fear of 
violence or persecution.
Attest:

Clerk.