Governor Hochul: “[I] will stand here as your Governor and tell you, with every fiber of my body, we'll never show indifference to the evil of antisemitism. Not now, not ever. Not here in the State of New York. And we, working with federal government, will set the standards of what responsible governance looks like, what a responsible society looks like, that hopefully others will emulate. We are global leaders, we're national leaders, people do look to New York.”
Hochul: ‘We band together, shoulder to shoulder, we march onward. And then there is no stopping us. I want to make sure that our world, that we leave to our children, allows them to grow up with the innocence that they're entitled to, full of love and hope and possibilities. So today, I'm calling on other governors to help. I'm calling on states, calling on other countries. Follow our lead. Follow a statewide strategy. I believe that we will make that difference.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced comprehensive state action taken to fight antisemitism. Governor Hochul made the announcement at the Center for Jewish History, making New York State the first state to respond to President Biden’s national strategy to counter antisemitism. The Governor also announced the creation of the New York State Anti-Hate in Education Center and Annual Convening that will combat hate, create a safe and inclusive environment, and focus on eliminating antisemitism. Further, the Division of Human Rights has announced plans to improve hate and bias incident data collection and launch the agency's first-ever small grants program for community anti-bias work. The Office of Victim Services is working to expand support for victims of antisemitism by simplifying the Victim Compensation Application, allowing them access to reimbursement. Additionally, the New York State Police will re-launch law enforcement focused Hate Crime Investigative Seminars. The New York State Office of Mental Health created the Spotlight on Jewish Campaign to recognize the unique issues surrounding Jewish Americans’ mental health.
VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of the event is available here.
PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor's Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
Rosh Hashanah is a joyous celebration. It's a new year. It's the high holy holidays and it calls upon us to look inwards, to be honest with ourselves about a year gone by, but also to examine our own lives with humility and grace and to reckon with the work that remains ahead of us into the new year. This necessary reflection allows us to renew ourselves individually. But as Governor, I take this opportunity to renew ourselves as a state to reaffirm our priorities as a people, our values. And that is why we are here today. Yes, to wish you a wonderful new year and your families, but also to give me an opportunity to recommit my support for New York's incredibly vibrant Jewish community.
And what that commitment means is I want to ensure that this place that we are so proud to say It's the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, that we will be the place where we teach what tolerance and acceptance is all about, and understanding, because I want New York to be the place that people of all faiths, but particularly the Jewish community that is under siege, people can stand up with pride, to walk without fear, to worship without anxiety, looking over their shoulder, because there are good people. This place is filled with good, committed people who are on that journey with me. And we are so honored to mark this celebration with not just New York leaders, but national and global leaders.
So, to have with us Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism for the State Department. Please stand up, Deborah. Thank you for joining us. I look forward to your remarks. We also have the Acting Council General in New York, position of great prominence. They get to know everybody. Tsach Shaar. Did I pronounce that right? Shaar. I will practice. Thank you. Thank you, Council General.
And Ted Deutch, who's traveling the world, has found his way to New York. The CEO of the American Jewish Committee and a former colleague of mine in Congress. So, we have that in common. We serve together. I was there when the Tea Party just got elected. What a quaint time that was, Ted. And Rio Daniel, the CEO of this extraordinary place, where people can gather and share ideas and remember, but also to understand that we have to pass on the stories to our children. That is our moral responsibility. So, to Rio, I want to thank you for hosting us, the Center for Jewish History, and all your board members, the presidents, everybody who cares so deeply about this. And so many faith leaders, community partners, and to all my friends who are elected officials, there are a lot of you, I can't name all of you today, but I will give one special shout out to someone who's rather new on the job, Sam Berger. Brand new assemblymember. Congratulations.
For generations, the world has looked to New York as this haven from hate. That's what we're known for, beacon of acceptance since our earliest times. And we are so proud of not just the individuals who came here, seeking freedom, seeking life, especially in the midst of the Holocaust, we are the home of 40,000 still living, still contributing Holocaust survivors. I have sat with them. I had an extraordinary encounter with 10 women who were telling me what their childhood were like, that they'd literally been robbed from them. They had no childhood to speak of. But also, how they were seeing signs today that bring back memories and worries about where we’re heading. I think we need to listen to those voices. But because they experienced humankind at its very, very worst. And when they say to us that in our own country, the United States of America, that place that people flock to for freedom, that they're seeing the same signs during the rise of Nazi Germany, we are paying attention. We are paying attention because you cannot ignore the seeds of hate and antisemitism that are planted. And for some reason, have been unleashed more so in the last few years than any time in decades.
So, the statistics are not good. The number of antisemitic incidences in this great city have more than doubled in the last two years. That's one antisemitic attack, physical, verbal, every 33 hours, here in New York. That's not across the world, that's not across the nation. And when I hear of the bomb threats, people afraid to go into a synagogue because of one of those swatting events. And I report that 41 percent of American Jews feel less secure today than they did even one year ago. And the attacks on the teaching of Holocaust education in our schools, school boards, on up to crazy governors who just don't care. They don't understand that their words have power. Their words can inspire people to do very good, but also to do really bad. And that's what I fear is happening.
So, this is our opportunity for renewal, to shape the world in a way we want to leave it for our children. And as Rabbi Abraham Heschel said, “The opposite of good is not evil. The opposite of good is indifference. And in a free society, some may be guilty, but all are responsible.” Let's reflect on that. A lot of rabbis here, they will help you reflect better than I ever will. If you're in synagogues, you can hear them. That's pretty profound. Not doing something means you're complicit. All of us are complicit if we're not standing up, especially those who've been entrusted with the power of government by the people of this state.
And I will stand here as your Governor and tell you, with every fiber of my body, we'll never show indifference to the evil of antisemitism. Not now, not ever. Not here in the State of New York. And we, working with federal government, will set the standards of what responsible governance looks like, what a responsible society looks like, that hopefully others will emulate. We are global leaders, we're national leaders, people do look to New York.
So, this afternoon, I want you to be here to not just enjoy New York apples and honey, always from New York. But I also want you to be here when I announce New York’s latest investments against antisemitism. A blueprint for other states to follow and truly a continuation of our already committed efforts to confront the evil in our midst. So, we're creating the first state anti-hate and education center. This will be a place we can gather stakeholders from government and academia, and we'll have its first convening to really talk about not just hate in an abstract way, but the impact of antisemitism in our educational institutions. Calling out what is going on.
I'm also calling on our Division of Human Rights, and our Commissioner of Human Rights, Maria Imperial, is here. Maria, please stand up. Thank you. To use the Division of Human Rights to continue improving our hate and bias prevention units’ data collection. We have to solve a problem, but you have to be able to measure it first, right? And I thank you for helping spearhead that effort. Also, a youth initiative to encourage our children to challenge discrimination when they see it among their peers. I mean, no child is born with hate in their heart. It's learned. And I believe it can be unlearned. That's what education is. That's the power of education.
So, we'll have an opportunity to teach our children what it's like. Maybe they should experience what it would feel like to be a young Jewish child wearing a yarmulke on his way to Yeshiva, who has to turn his head and react to every sound because I encountered a child like that. And he said to me, “I have a question for you, Governor. I'm afraid when I wear my yarmulke, and my friends say maybe I shouldn't wear it, because it's a target on me, someone's going to hurt me.” And I said, “No, young man, you must wear that. You must wear that with pride because your ancestors have endured antisemitism for thousands of years. And they endured. They never surrendered to the hate. And while it's scary for you, you must be strong, you must be proud, and never cower to those whose lives and hearts are full of hate. And someday you too will pass on to your children this sacred opportunity, sacred obligation, the pride in your traditions that must endure, that have endured to the ages because of brave, courageous people. You must continue.”
I also want to create the first-in-the-nation program to empower community organizations to help lead other organizations. This is not just a Jewish experience. We are all diminished when one of us is hurt or feeling ashamed of their identity and fearful. That hurts all of us. So, to help lead these system wide anti-hate efforts, I'm putting, with the support of the state legislators who are here today, and I want to thank again our assemblymembers and our senators who are here. They're extraordinary people. They are leaders. They're my partners in government. We are funding $500,000 toward this effort to help expand the reach of our message. We also want to make sure that the victims of these crimes know that they are entitled to support. And the Victim's Compensation Fund, which can be complicated to navigate, said let's make it easier. Let's make it easier. Why does life have to be so hard? People have been through enough.
Also, I have our Superintendent of the State Police here, Steve Nigrelli. And we're continuing to promote our hate crime education in our police training efforts. This is part of the academy now. This is also reeducation. And also, launch mental health initiatives to help the Jewish community handle what they're going through over the last couple years particularly. And I'm announcing $38 million today to strengthen safety at sites that have become vulnerable targets. We have done a lot in the past, but I also know there's still vulnerabilities that exist.
So, I want the word out that we have the resources, we have the commitment, we have the people who will do the right thing. So, watch out. Don't bother. It won't be worth it. And I don't ever want to find any limitations on our ability as a state, or my ability as a Governor, who’s number one job is to protect people of this state, all people. I don't want any limitations on what we can do. I want to expand, reach out, leave nothing untapped to make sure that people are safe.
But also, the federal government is a great partner as well. President Biden announced the first ever U.S. national strategy to counter antisemitism back in May. I was delighted at how ambitious it was. This is not just a token effort. Oh, here's a little playbook. Let's talk about that on a press conference day and move on. I'm proud that New York has already gone so far in accomplishing the goals the President has laid out, and we feel that New York is leading from the front. We've done a lot. $150 million for physical security in places like synagogues, grants to help with hate crimes, largest ever, strengthening our public safety laws, making sure that hate crimes are bail eligible because they weren't.
We've also taken unprecedented action to create the nation's first domestic terrorism prevention unit that targets specific groups that are at risk. And we want to make sure that we continue to be the first. Another area we gathered not long ago to talk about was that there was a law in the books in the State of New York that says Holocaust education is supposed to be taught in schools. I don't remember it. I don't know that people are actually teaching it. So, I want them to confirm and verify their compliance with the law. We passed a law to make sure, and again I thank our legislators, make sure this is actually happening. Because there's tremendous power in creating empathy in young people when they're exposed to the horrors of the Holocaust at a young age and realize this has happened, perhaps in their grandparents’ lifetime, not that long ago. Let non-Jewish children also understand what never forget means. Imagine the power of that.
So, I know this sounds like another strategy, a lot of money, a lot of support. The greater challenge is not to make these announcements, but also how do we change the hearts and minds of others? Others who sometimes visit us in places like this. You're always welcome, this is New York. But I promise you, these are not just policy pronouncements. It's a deep, unwavering belief that we have the power to make change here and now. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think we did, I wouldn't be wasting your time. I truly believe in my heart we can change people's attitudes one person at a time.
When I think about all the groups in our state who are subjected to hate crimes, and there are many – we had a white supremacist massacre ten of my neighbors in Buffalo, simply searching for the largest black population this individual could find. The fact that he had traveled three hours to Buffalo was a statement itself, that people are not growing up with people who are not exactly like them, they're not learning that tolerance at a young age. We also have not just communities of color under siege. The LGBTQ community is under siege, you know what the rise of antisemitism is all about. Asian hate crimes are on the rise. When you add up all the people that are subjected to this hatred and bigotry, there's a lot more of us than them, right? We stand together as the groups that somehow people are just threatened by, that's all I can figure it is, they're threatened by this. We band together, shoulder to shoulder, we march onward. And then there is no stopping us. I want to make sure that our world, that we leave to our children, allows them to grow up with the innocence that they're entitled to, full of love and hope and possibilities.
So today, I'm calling on other governors to help. I'm calling on states, calling on other countries. Follow our lead. Follow a statewide strategy. I believe that we will make that difference. Because if not us, then who will? That's our reflection today. Thank you. Thank you.