88R16082 BK-D
 
  By: Blanco S.R. No. 348
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, For more than four decades, every U.S. president has
  declared the annual observance of Education and Sharing Day in
  honor of the anniversary of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's
  birth and his contributions to education; and
         WHEREAS, One of the most celebrated figures in 20th century
  Judaism, Rabbi Schneerson was born in Ukraine in 1902; he
  demonstrated a remarkable aptitude for religious scholarship at a
  young age, mastering the entire Talmud and many of its commentaries
  by the age of 17; in the 1920s, he became part of the inner circle of
  the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement
  in Judaism, and he married the Rebbe's daughter, Chaya Mushka;
  forced to flee Berlin and later Paris because of Nazi
  anti-Semitism, the couple settled in New York City in 1941; and
         WHEREAS, In 1951, Rabbi Schneerson officially succeeded his
  father-in-law as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and over the next 44 years,
  he built the movement into a worldwide community of 200,000
  members; a strong advocate for children and education, he believed
  that schools should stress both academic achievement and character
  development, and he established several thousand Orthodox Jewish
  schools and educational centers around the world before his passing
  in 1994; and
         WHEREAS, In recognition of Rabbi Schneerson's advocacy,
  President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first Education and Sharing
  Day in 1978, and the tradition has continued each year since; the
  rabbi's birthday is celebrated on 11 Nissan of the Jewish
  liturgical calendar, or four days before Passover, and in 2023 it
  falls on April 2; his accolades further include a Congressional
  Gold Medal, which he received posthumously in 1995; and
         WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Rabbi Schneerson was a champion
  for values-based learning, and Education and Sharing Day represents
  an important opportunity for Texans to reflect not just on how to
  foster academic achievement but also on how to ensure that young
  people lead lives rich in purpose and fulfillment through service
  and good works; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
  hereby recognize April 2, 2023, as Education and Sharing Day.