Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Departs for Poland to Attend Official Commemoration of 75th Anniversary of Liberation of Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau

Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo departed for Poland, along with Empire State Development President & CEO Eric Gertler and Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, for the official commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Governor will join world leaders as the only U.S. elected official to attend the official commemoration events on Monday.

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

Thank you, thank you very much. Thank you all for taking the time to be here today on this important day. To Michael Miller and to Malcolm Hoenlein we are blessed that we have such powerful, important leaders at this difficult time. And what Michael and Malcolm have done, the way they've rallied communities across this state and across the nation to stand up and be counted - we're blessed. Let's give them a round of applause, thank them.

I want to thank the President of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder who has been organizing the event, the commemoration at Auschwitz, who is actually bringing 105 survivors back to Auschwitz. Let's give him a round of applause, I'll see him when I'm there.

To all our colleagues who are here, to all our friends, Michael said it very well, we are going to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Auschwitz. To pay respect to remember, as Elie Wiesel would say to bear witness, to stand up and bear witness. And we have Holocaust survivors who are here with us today and liberators. And our first message is to them, we say God bless you. We are so sorry for what you went through and what you endured and the pain that you had to feel is unimaginable for most of us. But that you stood up, that you resisted and that you have gone on is a tribute to each and every one of you and an inspiration to all of us. Let's give them a round of applause please.

Seventy-fifth anniversary. In some ways it seems like it was a lifetime ago. In some ways it seems like it was just yesterday. It's an important time to go, the 75th anniversary, to honor the survivors, to honor the liberators and to remember, as Michael said, to remember the lesson, to remember what society, what humanity is capable of. It seems unimaginable, but it was real and it happened and 6 million Jewish people lost their lives. It's important to be there on the 75th anniversary. It's also an important time to be there because of what's going on in this nation today.

The message of the Holocaust survivors rings especially powerful today. 2018, the FBI says had the highest record of hate crimes in the United States of America. 2019, in this state - great State of New York - 189 hate crimes, most of them anti-Semitic. One hundred and eighty-nine. And obviously we've all been watching the violence around the country, but in some ways, I thought not here. It would never happen in New York. New York we know better. New York we know each other too well. We grew up together. We live diversity. We enjoy diversity. The Jewish community and New York are one in the same. But now even in the State of New York. Even in the State of New York. So it is an important time.

The anti-Semitic acts that we have seen, the worst of which was in Monsey in Rockland County, are as disgusting as they are shocking. And our message is the same message: What happened in Monsey, must happen never again. What's happened on the streets of Brooklyn must happen never again. The anti-Semitism we've seen across the state must never happen again. As the state government, our message is loud and clear, we have zero tolerance for any discrimination. It is illegal, it is immoral, it will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, period, and I am committed to that.

As a government, we're doing everything we can. We've put more funding for the hate crimes in the State Police. We proposed the first domestic terrorism law in the United States of America. Call them what they are. These are terrorists who are doing this. We are also putting more funding and security for private organizations to provide security for themselves.

But government can protect, but government can't resolve this issue. People are going to have to resolve this issue. They're going to have to open their minds and open their hearts. They're going to have to understand each other. Understand the Jewish community. Understand the Holocaust. Understand what happened. Understand we lost 6 million Jewish people just because of their religious beliefs and this is a nation that was founded on religious freedom. How repugnant to the concept of America to show anger or hate to anyone based on race or religion. It's what this nation was founded on.

We have to remember that. We have to teach our young people that. And we also have to open our heart and remember who we are as Americans, and who we are as New Yorkers and how we accept and how we understand and how we embrace and how we tolerate differences. That's what this is all about. That's what the trip to Auschwitz is all about. That's what we've been working here in this state about.

We're going to bring mementos from New Yorkers that we'll leave at Auschwitz. People who wanted to bring a piece of New York to leave at Auschwitz so the trip and the memories will live on.

It's my pleasure now to introduce a true hero. A survivor who was in five concentration camps, who survived Auschwitz, spent about 2 years in Auschwitz. He is now in Forest Hills, Queens. I have a special affection for Queens boys. Once a Queens boy, always a Queens boy. But this is a Queens hero, this is a New York hero. A hero to everyone who is here today. Mister Samuel Hersly.

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