Miles Berger @ 2011 Colel Chabad Dinner

us are here not because of our own doing yes we have worked hard yes we have sacrificed yes we have struggled yes we have made ourselves who we are but ultimately if we think about it all of us are gathered in this room because we are the result of a grand conspiracy of love that back in our ancestry there were people who did not give up who fought for us who sacrificed for us many names that we don't even know who were part of a movement of people through kindness decency and love through courage sacrifice and struggle enabled us to live the lives that we are living now and we must remember the good I have a father who tells me all the time son do not forget about that conspiracy of love when it was time for me to go to school my father was born to a single mom who couldn't take care of him he he he he was poor he jokes with me son I wasn't poor I don't I hate when I hear you say I was poor Corey I wasn't poor I was just po po I couldn't afford the other two letters it was a community of people that were there to see that he got food that see that he had a roof over his head that raised him and took care of him people's names that I will never know but but for their love I would not be here he was then on his way to go to college but couldn't afford it so he was going to put College off he might not have never have gone if it wasn't for people that I don't even know their names who put dollar bills and envelopes and gave them his first semester tuition so he could get off to college when he got to college and graduated it was blacks and whites who came together Christians and Jews that provided opportunity for him to get his first job at an oil company first job at a department store his first job to become his SEC his third job was to become one of the first black excuse me at a department store an oil company one of the first blacks hired in a wave of of of of new blacks going into a company called IBM when it was time for us to move into a new neighborhood here in New Jersey my my father went to buy a home in the town I grew up in Harrington Park they wouldn't sell it to him a group of people came together and sent a white couple out behind him and the house was still for sale they put a bid on the house on the day of the closing my father and a Jewish lawyer showed up to confront the real estate agent for his housing discrimination the real estate agent after hearing the lawyer present his his remarks stood up and punched this lawyer in the nose Sig the dog on my dad a fight broke out eventually a court case and eventually we moved into this town of relative affluence in the northern suburbs of New Jersey and my parents would sit around the dinner table and said do not forget the good they didn't say it in Hebrew I don't know why [Applause] they did not say that but they knew those ideals so I simply want to say to you tonight that we must not forget the good that we must remember that we are here because of the profound love of others and we must continue it we have a muga mission we do but it was crazy dreams that have gotten us to where we are throughout history and it's only these impossible Dreams that will have us be successful if you will indulge me for one more moment there's a couple in my life who really to me are heroes of hassed they are soldiers of sadaka if I can Rabbi BL maybe tomorrow we can think about a new award in nework we could call it the Newark nus award because this is a couple that has given me as mayor of the city great Nas they've made me so proud because they in every way are living the ideals of their faith every day through their work and their goodness and their kindness they are living that tradition that started with Abraham who was said to be God's favored because he kept his tent open on four sides that whereever way you were approaching you would always feel hospitality and warmth I love the fact that this couple they're in the hospitality industry and they own the best hotel hotel in the city of nework called the Robert Treat Hotel they are being honored tonight and they are my friends and I want to recognize them for the inspiration they give me through their goodness and most importantly through how well they live every day their faith and their values through how they embrace the nework community I would just like to give my congratulations and thanks uh to the Burger family and to Mr Mrs burger right now and so again as I conclude I want to encourage this organization I look forward to being in a matter of hours in front of the cotel and giving prayers of thanks to what this organization is doing not just for some but for so many and I want to conclude just giving them two words of encouragement simply this yashu Kaa thank you Rich get over here go arur no it's not right it's not right my stri it's in your business it's your area it's your business hot beautiful I think you oh he going to speak yeah I'm going to you need this I'll take this some space yeah I got my I take up a lot of room whoa you got your same as you wow well on behalf of Susanna myself let me first thank mayor Booker for taking time out of his extremely exhausting schedule to do us and K kabad the honor of being here and making this presentation to Suzanne and I thank you mayor B I would also tonight like to say hello to a friend of 50 years Mr Robert Schwarz who I went to raas with back in the 60s and 70s I haven't seen him in nearly 30 years and Robert you look terrific tonight I hard recognize you you haven't changed in fact this reminds me of a cute story if you will of a man named MRA benowitz this MRA benowitz gets up one day and he's decides he's going to redo himself remake himself so he goes on an optifast diet he loses 45 pounds he goes to the Hair Club for Men and gets himself a beautiful new hairpiece he goes to Bergdorf Goodman for men and buys himself self the most luxurious suits and outfits and to top it off he decides to get himself an Italian sports car a Maserati he's driving home from the dealers at 85 mil an hour and loses control of the car and the car strikes a telephone poll and he's instantly killed and his Nish his soul goes up to heaven and is met at the Gates of Heaven by two angels and he says to the angels why why did you do this to me I Saka my kids go to Yeshiva I dve in every chabas I go to sh why did you do this to me me MTZ with that the angels look up at him and say moitz we didn't recognize you in any case k kabad recognizes you friends and to be honored by K kabad is more than an honor it is a responsibility a responsibility to commit caring for the poor and for the needy in Israel a responsibility to carry on and increase a tradition that is backed by over two centuries of ceaseless effort to alleviate hunger pain and Desperation until you've seen K kabad in action in erit yel you cannot fully appreciate the scope and integrity of its programs the range the reach and the variety of its institutions and projects the operations of food clothing shelter Dental Care Medical Services interest free loans the list goes on and on it is simply breathtaking how one relatively small organization can accomplish so much is a case study in purity of motive and the efficiency that results from Relentless Integrity so let me congratulate Rabbi duchman and his staff here and in Israel for their tireless efforts Su suzan and I would also like to congratulate our fellow honores who could not have chosen a better charity to give their support to thank you and good [Applause] evening Hanukah begins tomorrow at Sunset however the minur see on your tables have already given a great deal of light because these are no ordinary hanuka they are the Artistic Endeavors of some of Israel's most severely challenged men and women the 40 residents of the K kabad grabsky Rehabilitation Center for Young victims of multiple sclerosis the only one of its kind in Israel the light of the mamora gives warmth gives strength gives happiness and gives purpose on behalf of the artists who made these voras and on behalf of all those that benefit from your abundance of kindness thank you for joining us and have a happy Hanukah I meet you at a clay and when you're try and ready or I shall we ask our good friend Ronald Phillips to lead us in the hamotzi it's working it's working okay the rebi encouraged every Jew to light candles on kaneko we have prepared Manas and candles outside in the foyer for anyone who would like to partake in the Mitzvah and Now ladies and Gentlemen please enjoy your dinner [Applause] conratulations e e for