The Hallandale Beach City Commission issued a ceremonial proclamation declaring Sept. 29 "Xavier D'Russo Day" to recognize Xavier D'Russo’s advocacy on behalf of the Jewish community and the state of Israel.

Commissioner Annabelle Lima Taub introduced the item and described why she sponsored the honor, saying the proclamation recognizes D'Russo’s efforts to "foster dialogue, raise awareness of Jewish communities and the state of Israel, counter antisemitism, [and] stand in solidarity with families affected by the violence." Mayor Joy Cooper read the proclamation on behalf of the commission.

Xavier D'Russo, identified in the meeting as a media personality and contributor to national outlets, told the commission that his public work follows a personal journey and urged others to be assertive in telling their story: "Don't spend so much time defending yourself against who you're not that you don't spend enough time showing the world who you are," he said.

The item drew remarks from local and regional guests including representatives of the Israel American Council and members of Israeli American civic groups. Several elected officials and civic leaders praised D'Russo’s work and described efforts to combat antisemitism through education and community outreach.

The meeting transcript also records that some individuals in the audience made inflammatory remarks during the program; meeting leadership interrupted the public comments and later proceeded with the scheduled program. The commission’s proclamation and the presentations that followed focused on honoring D'Russo’s advocacy and on building community partnerships to counter antisemitism.

Why it matters: The proclamation recognizes an individual’s public advocacy and highlights the commission’s role in responding to local concerns about antisemitism and community relations. Several speakers emphasized education, memorialization of October 7 and outreach in local institutions as ongoing priorities.

The proclamation is ceremonial; no ordinance or policy change was voted on as part of this agenda item.