State of Illinois House of Representatives Resolution

WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that the members  of  this  Body welcome  the  opportunity  to recognize citizens of this State who have made outstanding contributions and sacrifices to mankind; and

WHEREAS, Many American volunteers fought on behalf  of  the  Jewish People for Israel’s War of Independence in 1948-49; and

WHEREAS,  At  great  personal  risk,  these  men  and women offered themselves and their services to assist the  Nation  of Israel  during crucial times; and

WHEREAS,  There were 4,000 volunteers who went to Israel during its War of Independence in 1948; they came from the United States, Canada, England, and South Africa; many were World War II veterans eager to use
their experience to defend the new nation of Israel; and

WHEREAS,  They  served  in fourteen branches of the Israel military during the war; ninety  percent  of  the  new  Iraeli  air  force  were Americans;  many American and Canadian volunteers manned the ships that brought 35,000 holocaust survivors to Israel;  many  lost  their  lives defending Israel in this great struggle for independence; and

WHEREAS,  Several  of  the  men  who  volunteered were residents of Chicago: Avrum Israel Weinzweig, David Gutmann, Jules Cubernek, Leonard Sherman,  Milton  Shulman,  Moshe  Litoff,  Christopher   Magee,   John McConville,  William  Lichtman,  Albert  Brownstein, Dick Cohen, Murray Kaplan, Arnold Kite, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Leeds,  Nathaniel  Ratner,  Lyon Sacksner,  the  late Jack Fox, Martha Fox, Ben-Haggai Steuerman, Daruch J. Rabinowitz, and Manuel Silver; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE  NINETY-FIRST GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  OF  THE  STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we take pleasure in honoring Avrum Israel Weinzweig, David Gutmann, Jules Cubernek, Leonard Sherman,  Milton  Shulman,  Moshe  Litoff,  Christopher   Magee,   John McConville,  William  Lichtman,  Albert  Brownstein, Dick Cohen, Murray Kaplan, Arnold Kite, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Leeds,  Nathaniel  Ratner,  Lyon Sacksner,  the  late Jack Fox, Martha Fox, Ben-Haggai Steuerman, Daruch J. Rabinowitz, and Manuel Silver for their sacrifice  and  the  service they  gave  to the Nation of Israel during the War of Independence, and we also honor the courageous men  who  died  flying  and  fighting  for Israel’s independence; and be it further

RESOLVED,  That  suitable copies of this resolution be presented to those mentioned above.