Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Senator ROBERT M. GORDON
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Bateman, Cardinale, Kyrillos, Oroho, O'Toole, Pennacchio, Singer and Thompson
SYNOPSIS
Designates days of recognition for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating days of recognition for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover.
Whereas, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the widely observed High Holy Days of the Jewish faith, marked by solemnity and deep moral and spiritual introspection; and
Whereas, Passover, or Pesach, is an eight-day festival commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt; and
Whereas, Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year” or “beginning of the year” in Hebrew, and marks the start of the Jewish New Year, which varies each year because the Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle; and
Whereas, Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration that begins at sundown on the eve of the Jewish New Year, and ends at sundown on the second day of the Jewish New Year; and
Whereas, Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, or the Days of Repentance, a 10-day period of introspection leading to Yom Kippur on the 10th day; and
Whereas, Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew and is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur; and
Whereas, Passover is celebrated in the early spring, beginning at sundown on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan, and lasting until sundown on 22nd day thereof; and
Whereas, Observers of Passover are not permitted to work on the first two days and the last two days of the holiday; and
Whereas, It is estimated that of the roughly 6.7 million Jewish people of all ages in the United States, approximately 500,000 reside in the State of New Jersey, which has the fourth largest Jewish population in the country; and
Whereas, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover are holidays of great significance to Jewish individuals in New Jersey and throughout the world; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The two days following the first sunset of Rosh Hashanah, the day following the first sunset of Yom Kippur, and the two days following the first sunset of Passover shall be designated as days of recognition in New Jersey to honor the significance of these holidays to the Jewish people.
2. The Governor is respectfully urged to annually issue a proclamation recognizing such days in New Jersey and calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to recognize the days with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates the two days following the first sunset of Rosh Hashanah, the day following the first sunset of Yom Kippur, and the two days following the first sunset of Passover as days of recognition in New Jersey to honor the significance of these holidays to the Jewish people.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the widely observed High Holy Days of the Jewish faith, marked by solemnity and deep moral and spiritual introspection, and Passover, or Pesach, is an eight-day festival commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Rosh Hashanah literally means “head of the year” or “beginning of the year” in Hebrew, and marks the start of the Jewish New Year, which varies each year because the Jewish calendar is based on the lunar cycle. Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration that begins at sundown on the eve of the Jewish New Year, and ends at sundown on the second day of the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah also marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, or the Days of Repentance, a 10-day period of introspection leading to Yom Kippur on the 10th day. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew and is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur. Passover is celebrated in the early spring, beginning at sundown on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan, and lasting until sundown on 22nd day thereof. Observers of Passover are not permitted to work on the first two days and the last two days of the holiday.
It is estimated that of the roughly 6.7 million Jewish people of all ages in the United States, approximately 500,000 reside in the State of New Jersey, which has the fourth largest Jewish population in the country. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover are days of great significance to Jewish individuals in New Jersey and throughout the world and, therefore, this joint resolution would designate the two days following the first sunset of Rosh Hashanah, the day following the first sunset of Yom Kippur, and the two days following the first sunset of Passover as days of recognition in New Jersey.