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Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Speaks at the Agudath Israel of America 92nd Annual Dinner

May 27, 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you so much. Thank you everyone. I want to thank my dear friend Sol Werdiger. I think like so many people in this room, I've had the experience of Sol being there for me. He's filled with leadership and generosity, and charity, and he supports all the things he believes in. I've been honored to be to his house, I've been honored to be to his office, and he's one of the people who helped me have the opportunity to hold this office so I can stand before you. Let's give Sol a round of applause to thank him.

[Applause]

And so many great friends on the [inaudible] tonight, including someone I deeply respect and listen to carefully, Rabbi David Zweibel. Thank you for your leadership.

[Applause]

One of the first friends I made in Borough Park, Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, thank you for your leadership. Thank you to Ralph Rieder for being the dinner chair for this extraordinary event. And to all the distinguished rabbis here tonight, to all the honorees who have worked so hard on behalf of the community. I'm so glad you are being honored. And thank you to our elected officials, the members of the Congressional delegation, our Comptroller Scott Stringer - who is here tonight. Let's thank them all for all they do.

[Applause]

This is your 92nd annual dinner, and that is truly extraordinary. When you talk about a body of work and accomplishment, standing up for the community, making sure the community's needs are heard and acted on for almost a century, that is something everyone should be proud of. That is something that is good to invest in because it has worked for the community.

[Applause]

And you heard from Sol the extraordinary growth that this community has sustained, something to be so proud of. You've heard of the incredible growth in the yeshivot, and what it means for the future of this community. But also the many good things it means for the future of this city, the strength and the stability of New York City, which this community has contributed to in so many ways. The fact is there's a lot to be proud of, there's a lot to appreciate, and of course there's always more work to do. But what we're doing now makes me so proud, because in City Hall we consider it our obligation to work closely with the community. It's natural for us. There's a friendship, there's a human connection, there's an appreciation of all this community does for the city.

And you've seen it recently. In the work we're doing with our huge effort to expand pre-K and afterschool all over the city, from the very beginning I knew that this would succeed for all of New York City if it was also something that succeeded for this community of the yeshivot, where such a crucial part of it - because I knew if we did that - so many children would benefit. And now our pre-K program is going to have a strong yeshiva element and I am proud of that. And that is good for this city.

[Applause]

So many, so many children from this community are going to benefit from our afterschool programs, and that's going to make them stronger. That's going to make them smarter, that's going to make them leaders of tomorrow of New York City. And I'm proud of that too

[Applause]

You know, the theme tonight is something I appreciate, the theme of stand up and speak up, because what it says to me is stand up for what's right for the community. Ask of - demand of - government the things you deserve. We're trying to show you with these efforts on pre-K and afterschool that we're listening, and we're trying to answer that call.

But there's some other dangers out there. They lurk all the time, and you have a right to demand of your city government - in fact, of all levels of government - that we respond.

The danger of anti-Semitism lurks always. I don't need to say it in this room, but it's important that I do say it in this room. It lurks out there, it lurks all over the world. You know, we always would've thought that our friends in Europe would've learned something, but all over Western Europe anti-Semitism is too alive and well. Intolerance of so many kinds are too alive and well. Here in this country, the recent incidents in Kansas were such a stark reminder. There's so much work to be done. In this city, the anti-Semitic graffiti in Brooklyn in recent weeks reminds us. People have to be taught. They have to be educated. Tolerance has to be taught. Understanding has to be taught. And when that's not enough, our law enforcement personnel will do their job. They will make sure that any perpetrator is found, because that's how we send the message that intolerance against the Jewish community will not be accepted.

[Applause]

And I have a different vantage point over these last five months. I get constant reports on the security dynamics of our city. And I can tell you that Commissioner Bratton and Chief Banks and all the men and women of the NYPD are working hard every day to protect us, that whenever they sense even the possibility of a threat against the Jewish community swing into action in ways we see and in ways we don't see. But it's so extraordinary how consistent the efforts are of the NYPD to protect all of us, to guard us against the threat of terror, to guard us against intolerance and bias violence.

And it's a reminder also - vigilance is something we exercise in our everyday lives here, and vigilance is called for in defense of some place we love deeply, which is the state of Israel. And one of the great honors I have is to be the mayor of the city on this earth with the largest Jewish population. It is a true honor and it comes with an obligation to protect that population here.

[Applause]

But it also gives me an instantaneous link to the state of Israel, a link that's been furthered by my visits there and a sense that it is part of what I do to defend the state of Israel. The state of Israel does not have enough defenders in the world. I am honored to count myself against the number of those who will always rise to stand to defend Israel.

[Applause]

I'll finish with a quote, as I love this quote. I've been doing my research. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov -

[Applause]

- I'm taking lessons on the side. He said, "If you are not a better person tomorrow than you are today, what need have you for a tomorrow?" It's a beautiful thought, a powerful thought. It's something that all of us should think about in our personal life, but I think about it in terms of the good of Israel and this extraordinary history. 92 years. I've been honored to be a part of the journey for the last dozen or so years. And I can safely say you are getting better all the time, you're earning that tomorrow, and mazel tov. Thank you so much.