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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, For more than four and a half decades, every |
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U.S. president has declared the annual observance of Education |
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and Sharing Day in honor of the anniversary of Rabbi Menachem |
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Mendel Schneerson's birth and his contributions to education; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Rabbi Schneerson, known as the Rebbe, was born in |
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Ukraine in 1902; he arrived in the United States in 1941 together |
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with his wife Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka; in 1950, he assumed |
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leadership of the over two-century-old Chabad-Lubavitch |
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movement; he established several thousand Jewish schools and |
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educational centers around the world, with over 40 operating in |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, this year marks the 75th anniversary of his |
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leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. "Chabad" is an |
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acronym of three Hebrew words for "wisdom, understanding and |
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knowledge." The name "Lubavitch" comes from the city which served |
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as the movement's headquarters for over a century and means city |
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of love. Of all the ethical values which inform our civilization, |
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none is more important than love - love of wisdom, love of |
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humanity, and love of our Creator. These values, have guided the |
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Chabad-Lubavitch movement throughout its history, and are the |
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essence of education at its best, and we should be certain to pass |
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on this precious heritage to all young Americans; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of Rabbi Schneerson's advocacy |
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that schools should stress both academic achievement and |
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character development, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the |
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first Education and Sharing Day in 1978, and the tradition has |
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continued each year since; the rabbi's birthday is celebrated on |
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11 Nissan of the Jewish liturgical calendar, or four days before |
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Passover, and in 2025, it falls on April 9; his accolades further |
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include a Congressional Gold Medal, which he received |
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posthumously in 1995; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Rabbi Schneerson was a |
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champion for values-based learning, and Education and Sharing |
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Day represents an important opportunity for Texans to reflect not |
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just on how to foster academic achievement but also on how to |
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ensure that young people lead lives rich in purpose and |
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fulfillment through service and good works; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature |
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hereby recognize April 9, 2025, as Education and Sharing Day. |