December 8, 2023
Albany, NY

Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Shabbat Services at Temple Israel

Governor Hochul: “It had to be enormously distressing for everyone in this room, as it was for me, to watch the news yesterday that there are college presidents in this country who could not say that it violates their code of conduct to call for the genocide of the Jewish people. Oh, I think there'll be consequences. And right here in the State of New York, a letter is going out from me tonight to affirm our commitment and our belief that that language does violate, not just the code of conduct, but also violates federal civil rights laws or something called Title VI. And you must protect students from an environment – a hostile environment – and they violate that if they allow that to go on their campuses, so I am calling them out here in the State of New York as well.”

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at Shabbat Services at Temple Israel in Albany. This follows the Governor update for New Yorkers on an incident where shots were fired on the premises of Temple Israel. The Governor previously released an official statement regarding this incident, which can be found here.

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 will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

 Shabbat Shalom. I was taken with the phrase we just read in the Psalm 30. “You have lifted me up and not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me.” We will not allow the enemies to rejoice over you. That is my commitment as the Governor of the State of New York as well. We take some solace in these words. On a day, the second night of Hanukkah, that ordinarily would be so celebratory, joyful that children wait for this year-round, brings families together, carries on a tradition that goes back centuries, if not thousands of years. And yet, there is a power over this gathering, this very place.

And I can't tell you how hard it is as someone who feels personally responsible for the safety and wellbeing of 20 million New Yorkers, that when I walked through here, and I'm hugged by little children who are worried, who know what happened here yesterday. And while it could have been worse, that small comfort to the parents whose children had to be hidden for a number of hours until it was resolved.

This cannot be the state of affairs in the great State of New York, nor will we allow it to be. And I want to thank Rabbi Wendy Love Anderson for having the courage to continue on in your work. I think we don't always recognize that our clergy feel things very deeply, yet they have to persevere and be there to comfort others and to give wisdom to others. And I want to applaud her for what she has been through since really October 7th when I joined you on that night. Sukkot, a day that was also to be celebratory, and yet we had such pain and angst in our hearts.

I want to thank Cantor Marx as well. Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who has been there with this community, in good times and in bad, and for being there on the site yesterday to comfort people as well. Mayor Sheehan, thank you. Thank you for all you do for this community. I want to thank the New York State Police and the Albany Police Department for all they've done to support people here. And also, allies. Many people in the Jewish community throughout New York have said, “Where are the allies?” When other groups are under attack, where are the allies that we need now? Because the Jewish people have always stood up – during civil rights, all the social movements, when there's been other hate crimes against different groups, Jewish people have always been there. It’s part of who you are, it’s part of the religion.

But I'm here to say there are allies among you tonight. I want to thank representatives from the Turkish Cultural Center for being here to show love and compassion because if anything happened to you, I would be there. People would be there to support you as well as we condemn antisemitism as well as Islamophobia. All hate crimes must be condemned. And not tolerated here.

So, I wanted to come here tonight and recognize that the tranquility of this wonderful community has been upended. But I'm calling on all the people, don't let the forces of evil take the joy that should be in your heart right now. Don't let them win out over you because then you give them power. They don't deserve to have power over your feelings and your sense of security, and your children need to learn this lesson as well.

My mother was famous for a lot of sayings. She had a very tough life. But she also used to say, “No one can make you feel bad without your permission,” which is how I get through a lot of days in this job. When I read the paper, I think of what my mom said, “No one can make you feel bad without your permission.”

Yes, there are security issues, but we are making sure that everything that can possibly be done is there to protect you and your families and your children. Whether you're worshiping here, going to yeshiva, going to the Early Childhood Center, we'll make sure that that happens. But also, standing up with the moral courage that's required at this time. I'm calling on all New Yorkers, all New Yorkers – every faith, every ethnic group, every race, stand up now and be counted, or else history, and perhaps someday God, will judge you harshly for not being there at a time when God's people need friends and allies and support, and above all, some love. That's what I'm calling on.

So, we can say we reject hate. It seems shallow sometimes, but I want to let you know I'm putting muscle behind those words here in New York. Not just the money we allocated for security and local communities and what we're doing with our online surveillance to make sure that people who are using social media to foster this hate, but also is what you're seeing on college campuses. It had to be enormously distressing for everyone in this room, as it was for me, to watch the news yesterday that there are college presidents in this country who could not say that it violates their code of conduct to call for the genocide of the Jewish people.

Oh, I think there'll be consequences. And right here in the State of New York, a letter is going out from me tonight to affirm our commitment and our belief that that language does violate, not just the code of conduct, but also violates federal civil rights laws or something called Title VI. And you must protect students from an environment – a hostile environment – and they violate that if they allow that to go on their campuses, so I am calling them out here in the State of New York as well.

I have the support of Chancellor John King who represents all the SUNY campuses, he speaks with one voice with the moral clarity that's required. I just got off the phone with him and we reaffirmed that if asked that question that was posed in Congress yesterday, that the answer in New York State would be “yes.”

We know that would violate not just the code of conduct, but the code of humanity. In what world is it okay to call for the genocide of anyone or any group? So we're starting to change the tide now. People are understanding what's at stake here. It's about today, but it's about the children in this room, and the children who deserve to live in peace and be proud to be Jewish – proud to let people know who they are. Because their ancestors have been through so much from the very beginning. They have suffered, they have persevered, that's the story of Hanukkah, overcoming the Maccabees. Praying to God for deliverance and God answered their calls. God will answer our calls here tonight. I am confident of that. So don't give up hope. Let the light of Hanukkah still be in your hearts. Don't let anyone extinguish that. Don't let them take that away from you.

I will commit to you, again, as Governor of the State of New York, my number one priority, what keeps me awake at night, is making sure everyone is safe because that's the basic foundation of being a citizen in this country is security, the ability to practice any religion, have any viewpoints you want, but don't cross the line into hurting and harming other people, because that line will be protected by me and law enforcement and others.

So, on this night of Hanukkah, please, don't let that light be extinguished. Don't let that light be extinguished because the people I saw when I went to Israel, they know they have the love of Americans. They have the support of Americans. That meant so much to them when I went to places where the horrors were committed. I was there after I spoke to you on the 7th. I needed to go.

But I committed to all of them, I'll fight to make sure the hostages are returned, I'll make sure that people know, in Israel, that we support the right to exist, the right to live free, the right to be free from terrorism, and I'll fight terrorism wherever it rears its ugly head against any group who calls themselves a New Yorker.

So, thank you for listening, thank you for having the courage to continue being here. And please, enjoy this season. Don't take this away from yourself. Don't let Hanukkah be a different Hanukkah this year because of what has happened. Be strong. From my heart to all of yours, I wish you a very, very happy Hanukkah.

Contact the Governor’s Press Office

Contact us by phone:

Albany: (518) 474-8418
New York City: (212) 681-4640