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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, For more than four decades, every U.S. president has |
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declared the annual observance of Education and Sharing Day in |
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honor of the birthday of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and his |
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contributions to education; and |
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WHEREAS, One of the most celebrated figures in 20th century |
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Judaism, Rabbi Schneerson was born in Ukraine in 1902; he |
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demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for religious scholarship at a |
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young age, mastering the entire Talmud and many of its commentaries |
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by the age of 17; in the 1920s, he became part of the inner circle of |
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the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement |
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in Judaism, and he married the Rebbe's daughter, Chaya Mushka; |
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forced to flee Berlin and later Paris because of Nazi |
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anti-Semitism, the couple settled in New York City in 1941; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1951, Rabbi Schneerson officially succeeded his |
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father-in-law as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and over the next 44 years, |
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he built the movement into a worldwide community of 200,000 |
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members; a strong advocate for children and education, he believed |
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that schools should stress both academic achievement and character |
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building, and he established several thousand Orthodox Jewish |
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schools and educational centers around the globe before his passing |
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in 1994; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of Rabbi Schneerson's advocacy, |
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President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first Education and Sharing |
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Day in 1978, and the tradition has continued each year since; the |
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rabbi's birthday is celebrated on 11 Nissan of the Jewish |
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liturgical calendar, or four days before Passover, and in 2021 it |
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falls on March 24; his accolades further include a Congressional |
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Gold Medal, which he received posthumously in 1995; and |
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WHEREAS, In the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted |
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traditional models of education across the nation, Education and |
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Sharing Day represents an important opportunity for Texans to |
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reflect not just on how to foster academic achievement in young |
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people but also on the core values that should be imparted to |
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children and adults alike; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 24, 2021, as Education and |
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Sharing Day. |