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Hoffman Estates proclaims Jewish American Heritage Month; public comments include poem and calls to 'Free Palestine'
Summary
The village board adopted proclamations including Jewish American Heritage Month (May 2025) and American Poppy Day (May 23); during public comment, a resident read a poem and a separate speaker criticized Zionism and urged action for Palestine.
The Hoffman Estates Village Board on May 5 adopted a series of ceremonial proclamations, including a proclamation declaring May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage Month and another designating May 23, 2025, as American Poppy Day in the village.
Trustee Stanton read the Jewish American Heritage Month proclamation, and Mayor William D. McLeod and the board adopted it by voice vote. Anne Grutner, who identified herself as the incoming president of Beth Tikva congregation, accepted the proclamation and said it was "just a very meaningful, proclamation that you're making, at a time where antisemitism has been on the rise and is still a challenge." Grutner said the recognition was particularly meaningful for her congregation.
The board also proclaimed a public-service recognition observance and American Poppy Day on May 23, 2025; Les, representing the American Legion, described how donations tied to poppy distribution support hospitalized and disabled veterans, saying, "All the money that we raise goes out. None of it is kept by the post... If there's a veteran in need of help, that's where the Poppy money goes."
During the meeting's public-comment period, Patty Druegan read a poem and closed her remarks with the line, "free Palestine." A subsequent speaker, identified in the record as Minister Tender, delivered an extended public-comment statement sharply critical of Zionism and of Israel's conduct in Gaza, saying, in part, "There is no peace without justice, and there will be no justice until Palestine is free from the river to the sea," and concluding, "Free Palestine." Those remarks were made in the public-comment portion of the meeting and were not board actions.
The proclamations were adopted by the board by voice votes; the public-comment remarks were expressions by members of the public and did not represent municipal policy or actions.
Anne Grutner and representatives from Beth Tikva came forward to accept the proclamation on behalf of the congregation; the board thanked the congregation and community groups for their participation.
