Bill Text: NJ SR14 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Condemns strongly all hatred and bigotry directed toward religious organizations in New Jersey, Canada, and United States; condemns threats to Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill and Kaplan Jewish Center in Tenafly.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [SR14 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-SR14-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator GERALD CARDINALE
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Bateman, Holzapfel, Addiego, Oroho, Pennacchio, A.R.Bucco and T.Kean
SYNOPSIS
Condemns strongly all hatred and bigotry directed toward religious organizations in New Jersey, Canada, and United States; condemns threats to Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill and Kaplen Jewish Community Center in Tenafly.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Senate Resolution condemning strongly all hatred and bigotry directed toward religious organizations in New Jersey and the United States.
Whereas, Hatred and bigotry directed by an individual or group toward the religious beliefs of another individual or group is a particularly heinous and reprehensible crime, perpetuated by disturbed and ignorant individuals who lack tolerance and compassion and belief in the dignity and equality of their fellow human beings; and
Whereas, At its inception, this nation stood apart from other nations because it made a central part of its founding document, the Constitution of the United States, the idea that all persons are free to practice the religion of their choosing and that no law shall abridge that fundamental right; and
Whereas, Recently, in New Jersey, Canada, and the United States, there has been a disturbing increase in violence and intimidation directed toward individuals who are members of religious communities and religious organizations; and
Whereas, Within the last few weeks, Jewish community centers in New Jersey, including the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, Camden County, and the Kaplen Jewish Community Center on the Palisades in Tenafly, Bergen County, and centers and day schools in 29 other states and one Canadian province have been targeted with bomb threats; and
Whereas, While no bombs have been found or individuals injured as a result of these threats, their effect has been to scare and intimidate the innocent people who use the centers to learn, recreate, and be among other people who share the same faith; and
Whereas, This series of threats in New Jersey and elsewhere come at a time of vandalism directed towards Jewish cemeteries near St. Louis, Missouri, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in which monuments have been defaced with racist slogans and headstones have been toppled; and
Whereas, It is fitting and proper that this House condemn strongly all hatred and bigotry directed toward religious organizations in New Jersey, Canada, and the United States, and condemns the threats to the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, Camden County, and the Kaplen Jewish Community Center on the Palisades in Tenafly, Bergen County; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House condemns strongly all hatred and bigotry directed toward religious organizations in New Jersey, Canada, and the United States, and condemns threats to the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, Camden County, and the Kaplen Jewish Community Center on the Palisades in Tenafly, Bergen County.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, Camden County, and the Kaplen Jewish Community Center on the Palisades in Tenafly, Bergen County.
STATEMENT
This Senate resolution condemns strongly all hatred and bigotry directed toward religious organizations in New Jersey, Canada, and the United States, and condemns the threat to the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, Camden County, and the Kaplen Jewish Community Center on the Palisades in Tenafly, Bergen County.
