Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Queens Jewish Community Council's Testimonial Dinner

August 25, 2014

Mayor de Blasio: Thank you so much, Michael. Michael has been a friend for a long time, and as you know, I think a lot of people in this room know, if you want advice on something—let me see if I can fix the mic while I’m at it—if you want advice on something, anything, Michael will give it to you. He is ready, willing and able. There is no topic he does not have a strong opinion on, and so often, his opinions are not only valid, they’re filled with insight and experience. And I, many times, last year and over the years, reached out to him and have found him to be a man of real depth, real wisdom. And he’s done a lot for the Queens Jewish Community Council and he’s done a lot for a lot of other causes. I’ll talk about him when we talk about it, as an honoree as well. Of course, when we talk about the Queens Jewish Community council, we have to talk about the executive director and the legend who’s done so much for this community. Let’s thank Cynthia Zalisky.

But we have to talk about the president who has made this organization so great, year in and year out, Warren Hecht, thank you so much. You know an organization is doing something right when key elected officials come – no matter how busy their schedules are they come to be a part of this. I’m going to call out some of the people who are here. If I miss anyone, please let me know of course. In Queens, you begin with the Borough President – let us thank Melinda Katz. Another Queens legend, District Attorney Richard Brown, thank you. Queens Councilman Rory Lancman, thank you. [Inaudible] thank you. Councilmember Mark Weprin, thank you. Senator Toby Stavisky, thank you. From a faraway place known as Albany, and a mysterious place, State Comptroller – well, all the way from Nassau, okay [inaudible], a dear, dear friend who does a lot for the city of New York every day, Tom DiNapoli. And I have a lot to say about our city comptroller, because you had the wisdom of making him one of the honorees, but let’s thank him now as well, Scott Stringer! Michael Miller is not an elected official, but I want to put him in the same vein just for a moment because he has meant so much to this city. Look all around the room [inaudible]. And yes, he was a tour guide for me and my family now twice in Israel. He participated Wednesday in an incredibly powerful meeting we had of senior religious leaders from around the city, which was an extraordinary moment. But he’s someone we all turn to, good times and bad, that helps make this city better. Let’s thank Michael Miller.

So it is an honor to join you – I don’t get to stay for the dinner, but I get to be here on the eve of the dinner and that’s upsetting. The 18th Testimonial Dinner – now, we know the significance of the number 18, it corresponds to the word for life, chai – and that, therefore, is a proficuous symbol for what this dinner will mean for this organization and for the fact that so many people are here and part of it. And, congratulations on the new headquarters in Kew Gardens, which will allow you to serve the community even better. It’s a great moment for [inaudible].

I want to talk about your honorees, because you’ve done really well this year. First of all, I can safely say, so much of what we do at City Hall, so much of what we try and do to make people’s lives better—to reach people, to achieve real, positive change in areas like affordable housing and so many of the other things communities depend on—so much of that requires a real partner in the comptroller’s office, and we’ve been blessed to have that in Scott Stringer. He does an immense amount for this city everyday. He also has a habit of calling me and making sure that what we’re doing is fiscally sound, and for that, I say thank you. So he’s looking, he’s playing the long game, but we want him playing the long game, for the good of this city. Let’s thank our comptroller, Scott Stringer. And you are tonight recipient—you will be the recipient—of the community service award. Well done.

Now, tonight, the recipient of the Steven Pezenik award will be Vinny Alvarez, who is an extraordinary labor leader. I’ll tell you how great he is. As the president of the New York City Labor Council – Central Labor Council – and the first Latino to hold that role, he is someone who literally, and I think I can say this with authority, somehow manages to get along with each and every element of the New York City labor movement, which should qualify him for a Nobel Peace Prize [inaudible].

Tonight, the Ner Tamid award will go to the aforementioned Michael Nussbaum. Now here’s the question—I’m going to use a little vignette to get to the point about Mike Nussbaum. The other day at Gracie Mansion, we had the site selection committee for the Democratic National Convention visiting. We were vetting them at Gracie Mansion, and as Cindy Adams accurately reported, one of the committee members from the DNC turned to my daughter, Chiara, and said, well, what are your reasons why we should have the convention in Brooklyn? And Chiara looks at her with a New York look on her face, and says, it’d be a lot easier to tell you the reasons why you shouldn’t have it in Brooklyn. And so, the fact is, when you think about Mike Nussbaum, it’ll be a lot easier to talk about what he hasn’t done in his life because he’s done amazing things. He’s done amazing things for this borough. In so many ways, he’s had a profound impact on the public and political life of this borough. Obviously, as publisher of the Queens Tribune, he’s had a huge impact on civic life, and the discourse of this borough. But it’s amazing what else he’s done. Did you know he was the organizer of the first NBA All-Star Basketball Tour of Asia? Did you know that? Wouldn’t have guessed that myself. That’s going to be a Jeopardy question. And he’s done so many other extraordinary things to benefit this community, and obviously, this council. Let’s thank Mike Nussbaum for all he’s done.

And finally, Aron Borukhov, who is an attorney and an activist. He has given of himself, and provided pro bono legal assistance in this community as needed. He’s helped a lot of people in their hour of need, an often thankless but crucial role, and he gets tonight’s [inaudible] award, so thank you Aron.

So, it’s so important to realize what the Queens Jewish Community Council does. I think people in Queens will tell you, for members of the Jewish community, it’s an incredibly important institution – it provides so much assistance. But for so many members of the larger Queens community who happen not to be Jewish, a place they turn to equally for help and find an open door. And you help to feed the hungry. You help people who deserve food stamps to get those benefits. You help immigrants with all their challenges, including affordable housing. You provide support for victims of domestic violence. There’s so many ways that you help people in all fields. You can play a very powerful helpful role, into the Bukhari community, as a liaison for the Met Council on Jewish Poverty. There’s so many roles this organization plays that enrich Queens and make it better. And that is why I wanted to be here tonight, to thank you.

And I do feel a special connection to the Jewish community of this city, and I think many of you in this room know I have a special distinction, one I express with great humility and a great sense of responsibility. In all the cities of the world, you take the cities of this entire world, just within their city limits, and you count up the population—this is the city on Earth with the largest Jewish population and I am honored to be the Mayor of that city. And it means I have to stand up for the community and I have to stand up for the State of Israel. [Inaudible] You would think, in the year 2014, that you would say, okay, that means you just need to work on things like affordable housing, or helping immigrants, but surely you shouldn’t have to be thinking about the stain of anti-Semitism. How could that be possible in in 2014, in the United States, in Western Europe, surely, that page has been turned. But no, it hasn’t been turned. Part of my responsibility, part of all of our responsibility, is to stand up against bias in all its forms, and we see, in this country today, still too many vivid and evident examples of anti-Semitism. It’s a horrible – incidents in the Midwest recently – we’ve seen too frequently acts of bias here, in our own communities. It’s something we in New York City treat every time as a serious matter. We never let these incidents go as something to just sweep under the carpet. You have to look them in the eye, you have to act on – part of what the NYPD does that I’m so proud of is they never underestimate a hate crime. They provide immediate assistance and action when we think any elements of the Jewish community are being threatened. It’s 2014 – I shouldn’t even have to say these words, but I do. I do have to say them, because it’s the reality. And that’s in New York City, an enlightened, tolerant city. We still are facing these problems, as I said, in other parts of the United States of America – quite evident still.

But now let’s talk about Western Europe where we have a real problem. And it’s not one we should be forgiving about. It’s one we have to call out. You know, a lot of people look up to the United States of America – a lot of people would like to be like us. Well, as we’re having those conversations, or as we’re traveling, or as we’re speaking, any place around the world, we have to say, this intolerance is unacceptable. We saw recent incidents in France, that were troubling and eye-opening and way too familiar. And you never take these things lightly. There was a very powerful op-ed in the New York Times last week, and the title said it all: “Why Jews are Worried.” And it talked about the kinds of things happening in Europe, the attacks we’ve seen on Jewish institutions. This is a historical pattern no one can look away from until it is ended. Until we see real respect and tolerance restored. And we have to be the beacon of that. A lot of times, people look to New York City to be an example. We have to be a strong example, we have to speak up, we have to show what it looks like to protect and tolerate and embrace all people. That’s what we intend to do. The phrase ‘never again’ only has as much meaning as we give it in our time. It’s not an empty phrase, it’s not a passing phrase, it has to come to life through our action.

That’s what we’re trying to do, every day, in this city, and I hope the world is watching, and I hope we don’t forget what’s happening in other places. And that is why I will work every day, also in support of the state of Israel, because we know, time and again, the state of Israel is under attack. And there aren’t enough friends, and there aren’t enough voices to speak up, and we have to be one of the places that does. I’m going to note something that so many of you, I’m sure, have experienced yourself – you don’t need to have gone to the Yad Vashem to know why you need to defend the state of Israel. But if you have gone to the Yad Vashem, it is unquestionably clear. I’ve been three times, and I will never forget it, and it reminds me every day of our obligations. So, look – the challenges, the pain, is real. But for now, let’s look ahead, and let’s look ahead positively and forcefully. Because we are so clear about what the Jewish people have contributed to this city, to this world, and what animates the Jewish community – one of the most powerful notions is that of tikun olam – healing a troubled world. Something that suffuses Jewish history, believing we can heal, believing we can turn that page in a real way. Not a superficial way, in a real and meaningful way. This community, time and time again, wherever in the world, has stuck to that notion, no matter how much trouble, has stuck to that notion, of that we have to heal, we have to find a way to each other. And that’s what the Queens Jewish Community Council does every day. That’s what your works epitomize.

So, it is a wonderful occasion for me to share with you, the 18th anniversary, as I said, speaks volumes – there will be a lot of chai to go around, and it’ll be a great, great night for the Community Council. Before I leave, I want to make sure we have covered everyone, because I now know you have additionally joining us, Councilmember Peter Koo – let’s thank him. It would be faster to do a list of who’s not here. Assemblymember David Weprin, Assemblymember Ed Braunstein and Assemblymenber Nily Rozic – I just want to say thank you for the work you do. I want to tell you it means a lot to a lot of people. Here’s to a great first 18 years. I look forward to being with you at the next, on the 36th anniversary. Thank you, everyone.