Cory Booker Speaks @ the Colel Chabad Dinner 2010 (fixed)

I'm sure there are some people who are wondering what is this guy gargantuan doing up here at this kabad occasion and you really saw part of the chain of causation right before you look I showed up in Oxford not expecting to experience one of the most Soul enriching uh uh uh associations I've ever had and that is with kabad uh the person who first introduced me to kabad was mentioned earlier Rabbi sh if it was not for him you can applaud definitely if it was not for him it was actually his wife frankly he gets too much credit it was his wife that showed the generosity of spirit of Abraham who was said to have kept his tent open on four sides so that anyone approached would feel hos feel welcome and me feel their Hospitality uh it is that was what I experienced at Oxford and joined a Shabbat table with regularity around the laim society and met people like David slogger met people like my dear friend Abe eisenstat but there's something about Applause down here but there's something about kabad I've now realized this that you can't go anywhere on the globe without one kabad Rabbi passing you off to another kabad Rabbi and and it's this powerful Network so as I began to go back home I'm leaving England this wonderful Jewish experience I've had schie says I may not have been successful in being your shahan but I will fix you up with somebody who will be just as powerful in your life and he passed me off to another kabad Rabbi and that was Shi hect now schmi hect was my co-conspirator at Yale the two of us together uh we tricked a lot of people all these Jews who had never L lit Shabbat candles all these Jews who weren't that observant he would send me in to get him and and they're like this black guy what's he about I'm like come have dinner with me okay okay fine and then we got them in the room and next thing they know they were having shabas it was a brilliant plan people Five Guys around a Shabbat table has turned into the one of the largest Jewish groups and organizations most influential in all the ivy league and I'm pleased and lo and behold I had a wonderful experience I'm leaving I'm going now I'm going back home going to Jersey going to New York and and and Rabbi heck says no before you go I got to connect you to to the next labovich Rabbi and I'm like come on haven't I done my time haven't I given enough and next thing he knows he takes me down literally takes me to nework and sits me down with a laiter in Newark an amazing man who was in the mayor's office today I wasn't there he was there making decisions for me or at least he left a tanak on my desk as a gift and that was Rabbi block Rabbi block are you here yes Rabbi block I'm sure is here as well so here I have for the last 20 years of my life been a part of this powerful labovich chain of causation and if there's anything that I've benefited from doing regular Torah study with my dear friends having the opportunity to sit at Shabbat tables on a regular basis it is the fact that these friends in my lives have helped me struggle with some of the core issues of humanity and here we are today gathered here for a purpose that is greater than ourselves Rabbi HEC asked this question about Rabbi AKA who has asked that question these ideas almost uh relating to that Socratic method of asking questions why is there suffering why would God allow that Rabbi AKA said to the evil Governor if you had a child and the King imprisoned that child wouldn't you be Happ happy if you knew someone fought to sneak that child food he said well we are the children of God he told the governor and God is pleased if his own children fight to find Justice it is these questions that provoke the ideas and the ideals of humanity when I was a young man in Newark and and was beginning my organizing there I met a woman who is tenant president of the buildings in which we live and I found out as I was talking to her one time that her child who served in the American Military came home and was murdered in the lobbies of her building and I asked a question a question I said Miss Jones you have to walk through this Lobby where your son was murdered every day you and I and I knew she and I paid Market rent to live in these public housing projects I said how could you still live here and walk through these projects and she was almost insulted by the question the question she said H how could I still live here and walk through the Lobby where my child was slain every day and I said yes she goes how could I still live in Apartment 5A since 1969 I said yes she goes how can I still be the tenant president of these buildings since they were built I said yes and she said proudly as she stuck out her chest she says because I'm in charge of Homeland Security she was taking responsibility she was not accepting the world as it is the questions that we ask helle said if I am only for myself then who will be for me if I am not for myself who will be for me if I am only for myself then what am I so love that what hill said because it wasn't who am I it is what am I these are the questions the truth of Judaism as I've learned from my study with many a kabad rabbi is not to accept the world as it is that is not why we were created but to demand that the world be more just and truthful it is one of the highest callings of humanity to stand with courage and do justice isn't it not what Micah asked or what oh Lord do your you want from your people to love kindness to walk humbly with your God and to do justice I found it curious to me that that in know one discussion I had about the Torah about why would Abraham argue God what religion celebrates the audacity of a man to stand there and argue with God in front of Sodom and Gomorrah it was almost as if this nonacceptance of Injustice is a celebrated quality and that question won't the god of Mercy show Mercy he talk about Moses standing before God when God sees the people worshiping a golden calf and simply saying we'll destroy these people and give you some more people to lead and Moses says no he says in Hebrew M if you destroy these people then erase me from your book this is the Jewish way this is the way way of justice and it is not just about doing Justice for others giving charity when in times of comfort and convenience the Torah celebrates people that in their time of pain in their time of discomfort and Agony they still manifest those ideals was it not Abraham after being circumcised sitting in pain that four strangers come to him and he gets up in his pain and he offers them kindness he offers them food and it is only then that they reveal themselves to be angels and bestow upon him a blessing is it not Daniel who showed faith in the Lion's Den is it not David who showed courage in front of Goliath is it not the story that we have just finished in the para of last week of Joseph who in early in his life all his dreams were selfish about himself and how he would Lord over his brothers and his family is it not until that he had started having dreams of helping other people in prison at that time showing that compassion and that love that his fortunes changed in Newark I see this kind of greatness I see this kind of Justice there's a man I know who came out of a diner and was attacked by a gunman the gun Gman shot and murdered his friend and then shot him three times in the shoulder in the side in the side of his face and he put his head down and charged the guy tackled him forcing him to the ground holding him with all his might as he bled the sidewalk red the police came and told him he could let go now he was in the hospital I visit him in the bed his body was broken but his Spirit was not months later recovered from his wounds I get a call from my staff saying you'll never believe what that young man's doing he's joining the New York police Academy Because he believes he's not going to wait for someone else to bring Justice to our streets this is the spirit that is exalted in the Torah this is the spirit that brings us together today we have challenges around our globe we have pain and Agony that is going on there is suffering in this world but the greatest calling we have is no matter what our circumstance to manifest Sak manifest goodness kindness and charity now we all who sit here today drink deeply from Wells of freedom and liberty that we did not dig we eat lavishly from banquet tables that were prepared for us by our ancestors we eat fruit from trees that were tilled and watered with the tears and blood of those those who came before we have a calling life is not a spectator sport where we could luxuriate in that which we have we must get involved and on the field in making a difference I am in awe as I stand Here of what kabad has done I am in awe of this organization there is a calling to every generation that they do something more than their parents did that they show that level of courage and Advance the ideals of humanity farther I want to end with a simple story from history that reminds us of this truth it is about an extraordinary man that is not celebrated as much in our history but his name was Israel his name was Israel Putman he was one of the first great generals of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War he was the man that was there during the Battle of Bunker Hill Bunker Hill was taking incredible assaults but Israel Putman kept his men strong and inflicted terrible damage on the enemy he did not give up fought time and time again with a ferocity and a determination to liberate his people from Injustice and tyranny eventually as you all know in this first great battle of the Revolutionary War the hill was taken but the British British wrote back toome and said we have won the battle but a few more victories like this and we will lose the war decades later that was in the late 1700s years past 1788 passed you all know that Year I hope at the year that this organization was founded a little later than that in 1825 a man named Daniel Webster stood up to put a monument to Israel Putman and the others who fought on that Hill he said very profoundly in his speech and let the sacred obligation which have devolved on this generation and on us sink deep into our hearts the great trust now descends to new hands we can win no laurels in a war for independence earlier and worthier hands have gathered them all our fathers have fulfilled them but there remains to us the great duty of defense and preservation let our age be the age of improvement let us do something that is worthy of being remembered let us cultivate true Spirit of Harmony let us call forth powers and build institutions that promote all of our greatness this was his calling and it's our calling as well what will we do to be remembered what contributions will we make what institutions will we build kelad is showing that we can build institutions worthy of the struggles that have come before us they are showing us that we can fulfill the call of Elijah to do such good that it can be a light unto Nations it is showing the truth of what Martin Luther King said that the challenge today is not the violent words and the vitriolic opposition of the bad people but the appalling silence and inaction of the good people this organization through its resounding strength and spirit is smashing the dam of indifference and allowing the waters to roll roll down like Mighty streams of Justice I stand here in Humble gratitude for what you all are doing but we must continue today marks progress today marks success but the mission is not accomplished there is work to do there is love to create there is a world to heal may we we continue in the progress thank you