>>> TONIGHT ON "METROFOCUS."

SPECIAL REPORT.

BLESS WITH US THE COURAGE TO

OVERCOME TRAGEDY.

BLESS WITH US THE STRENGTH TO

HEAL THE WOUNDS OF HATRED AND

BLESS WITH US SOLIDARITY TO

PROMOTE TOLERANCE.

>> THE RABBI WHO SURVIVED THE

ATTACK CALLS FOR UNITY AND THE

COMMUNITY ANSWERS.

>> WHAT DO WE WANT?

NO HATE, NO FEAR.

>> WITHOUT HATE OR FEAR, 25,000

HE MARCH IN THE SOLIDARITY

AGAINSTATE SEMITISM.

THE PROTEST WAS SPARKED BY A

RECENT SPREE OF ATTACKS IN THE

NEW YORK METRO AREA.

THE GOVERNOR IS NOW CALLING FOR

STRICTER PENALTIES AGAINST

PERPETRATORS OF HATE AS THE

MAYOR RECOMMENDS GRADE SCHOOL

PROGRAMS TO THE ROUT IT OUT

BEFORE IT CAN BE LEARNED.

TONIGHT, WE'LL SHINE A SPOTLIGHT

ON HATE, FAITH AND FORGIVENESS.

WITH TWO COMMUNITY LEADERS, ONE

JEWISH AND ONE MUSLIM, WHO BOTH

ATTENDED THE SOLIDARITY MARCH

AND ARE BOTH FIGHTING FOR

CHANGE.

THOSE STORIES AND MORE AS

"METROFOCUS" STARTS RIGHT NOW.

>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH

RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND

JENNA FLANAGAN.

>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE

BY

JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH,

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III,

THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA

PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM.

BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ,

ROSALIND P. WALTER,

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG,

AND BY --

>>> GOOD EVENING.

WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL EDITION

OF "METROFOCUS."

THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF 2019 SAW

AT LEAST 14 REPORTED

ANTI-SEMITIC ASSAULTS.

ONE OF THE MOST REASON ACTS OF

VIOLENCE HAPPENED RIGHT OUTSIDE

THE CITY IN MUNCY, NEW YORK,

WHERE A HANNUKKAH CELEBRATION

WAS INTERRUPTED BY A MACHETE

ATTACK.

WITH THE COMMUNITY UPSET, THE

RABBI HAD THIS UNIFYING MESSAGE.

>> I WILL NEVER FORGET THE

HORROR OF THAT NIGHT AND I WILL

NEVER FORGET HOW WE CELEBRATED

AFTER THAT ATTACK.

HOW WE CONTINUE TO REJOICE IN

THE MIRACLE OF HANNUKKAH.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE

RESILIENCE ON DISPLAY THAT NIGHT

AND IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS.

THE RESILIENCE OF JEWISH PEOPLE

AND THE RESILIENCE OF NEW YORK.

>> THE SUSPECT, 38-YEAR-OLD

GRAFTON THOMAS, WAS ARRESTED IN

HARLEM AFTER POLICE TRACKED HIS

LICENSE PLATE.

AMIDST THE VIOLENCE, NYPD

COMMISSIONER DERMOT SHEA MADE A

SURPRISING ANNOUNCEMENT.

>> WE JUST ENDED THE YEAR IN

WHICH WE SAW FEWER OVERALL

CRIMES.

BUT AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE IN OUR

PROFESSION, THERE ARE AREAS OF

CONCERN AS WELL.

MURDER, SHOOTINGS AND ROBBERY

ARE UP.

HATE CRIMES ARE ALSO UP.

SPECIFICALLY DRIVEN BY

ANTI-SEMITISM.

>> SO WHY HAS THERE BEEN A SPREE

OF ANTI-SEMITIC ADVICE?

HOW DO WE STOP THIS CYCLE OF

HATE?

HERE TO HELP US WITH SOME OF THE

ANSWERS, HOPEFULLY, ARE RABBI

MARK WILDES, FOUNDER AND

DIRECTOR OF THE MANHATTAN JEWISH

EXPERIENCE.

DR. GAIL SALTZ, AND PSYCHO

ANALYST OF THE NEW YORK PSYCHO

ANALYTIC EXPERIMENT.

AND MUHAMMAD KAHN, A CIVILIAN

ORGANIZATION WORKING TO PROTECT

LOCAL COMMUNITIES FROM HATE

CRIMES.

SO WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU.

WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.

I WANT TO FOCUS FIRST ON HISTORY

AND CAUSES AND THEN WE'RE GOING

TO GET INTO IDEAS OF SOLUTIONS

AND REVENUES.

BUT LET'S START AT THE

BEGINNING, A GOOD PLACE TO

START.

THAT IS THE HISTORY OF

ANTI-SEMITISM.

MARK, I'LL ASK YOU FIRST.

I SUSPECT IF WE ASK YOUNGER

PEOPLE, ASK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF

ANTI-SEMITISM, THEIR

INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY MIGHT NOT

GO BACK THAT FAR.

ANTI-SEMITISM GOES BACK MUCH

FARTHER.

>> I WISH IT WAS AS RECENT AS

THE HOLOCAUST.

ANTI-SEMITISM BEGAN AS JUDAISM

BEGAN.

ABRAHAM WAS REFERRED TO AS A

HEBREW.

HE WAS LOOKED AT AS DIFFERENT OR

OTHER.

WASN'T TOO AMONG THE ANCIENT

ISRAELITES WERE ENSLAVED BY THE

EGYPTIANS.

AND THEN THE ASSYRIANS AND THE

BABYLONIANS AND THE PERSIANS AND

THE ROAMANS.

THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY PERIODS

OF ANTI-SEMITISM, CULMINATING IN

THE HOLOCAUST.

>> WHY DO WE THINK TODAY, AND

GAIL, I'LL ASK YOU FIRST.

WHY DO WE THINK TODAY WE ARE

SEEING THIS?

YOU CAN ALMOST CHARACTERIZE IT

AS AN EXPLOSION OF ANTI-SEMITIC

ACTIVITY.

DO WE THINK IT IS THE MERELY

MORE REPORTING OF IT OR MORE

INCIDENTS TAKING PLACE, AND WHAT

IS IT ABOUT THIS ERA, DO YOU

THINK?

>> THERE DO SEEM TO BE MORE

INCIDENTS.

I THINK THE REASON WE'RE SEEING

IT NOW.

IF YOU LOOK AT SOCIAL

PSYCHOLOGY, THE DATA THAT HAS

BEEN UNDERSTOOD AND REPORTED

OVER A LONG PERIOD OF HISTORY.

WHAT IS DURING NOW, YOU HAVE A

GROUP THAT IS AS YOU BROUGHT UP,

THE OUTGROUP.

SEEN AS DIFFERENT.

BUT MOREOVER, THEY'VE BEEN

HISTORICALLY SEEN AS A

SOCIOECONOMICALLY COMPETENT

GROUP.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT PREJUDICE,

WHICH OCCURS, I'M THE IN GROUP,

YOU'RE THE OUT GROUP.

AND YOU ADD TO IT, ENVY.

SO WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT

ANOTHER GROUP, LET'S SAY, THE

ELDERLY OR THE HOMELESS OR THE

MENTALLY ILL.

THESE OTHER DISCRIMINATED

AGAINST GROUPS.

THEY'RE BENIGNLY THIS SEEN AS

NOT AS COMPETENT.

WE JUST DISMISS THEM.

WHEN A GROUP IS SEEN AS

PROSPEROUS, DOING WELL.

THEN WE BECOME ENVIOUS.

IN TIMES, WHICH I WOULD ARGUE

NOW WE ARE IN A TIME OF

POLITICAL OR SOCIAL UPHEAVAL.

CERTAINLY ECONOMIC UPHEAVAL.

EVEN POLITICAL OR SOCIAL

UPHEAVAL.

PEOPLE BECOME, AT LEAST

UNCONSCIOUSLY FEARFUL ABOUT NOT

HAVING RESOURCES.

WHEN A GROUP THERE OF SEEN AS

HAVING RESOURCES, THEY

EXPERIENCE ENVIOUS PREJUDICE,

WHICH UNLIKE OTHER FORMS OF

PREJUDICE, TENDS TO BE HANDLE IN

THE MORE VIOLENT WAYS, MORE

FEARFUL, VEER LENT WAYS.

SO I WANT TO ERADICATE YOU

BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING UP

RESOURCES AND I WANT THE

RESOURCES.

>> A CLASSIC ILLUSTRATION IS

NAZI, GERMANY.

HITLER ROSE TO POWER IN A

SIGNIFICANT PILLAR OF HIS RISE

WAS SAYING, GERMANY HAS BEEN

BEATEN DOWN.

WHOSE FAULT IS IT?

THE JEWS.

>> PEOPLE WERE FRIGHTENED.

THEY COULDN'T GET ENOUGH.

SO IT FIT WITH THEIR WISH TO GET

RID OF WHOEVER WAS BEING

SUCCESSFUL AND TAKING THE

RESOURCES.

THAT'S EXACTLY, FROM A SOCIAL

PSYCH STANDPOINT, WHAT SPURRED

ON THE HOLOCAUST.

>> HOW ABOUT YOU?

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR GROUP AND

WHAT DO YOU.

>> I'M FROM MUSLIM PATROL

SERVICES.

WE WORK WITH VARIOUS RELIGIOUS

COMMUNITIES.

AND SOMETHING THAT WE'VE

REALIZED IS THAT, ESPECIALLY IN

TODAY'S TIME, A LOT OF KIDS ARE

BEING MORE REPORTED.

PEOPLE ARE GETTING TO KNOW

PROCESS BECAUSE OF COMMUNITY

PATROL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE

OURSELVES.

THE JEWISH PATROL, THE ASIAN

PATROL, WHAT THESE PATROL

ORGANIZATIONS, WHAT WE HAVE

TAKEN THE INITIATIVE OF DOING IS

BRINGING OUT, MAKING IT SUPER

SIMPLE FOR ANYONE.

FOR ALL THE IMMIGRANTS.

NEW YORK CITY IS THE MELTING

POT.

MANY PEOPLE DO NOT SPEAK THE

LANGUAGE.

THEY FEEL SHY OR THEY FEEL

FEARFUL.

SO WE HELP THEM THROUGH THAT

PROCESS AND WE'VE NOTICED, MANY

PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THESE HATE

CRIMES OR INCIDENTS OF BECAUSE

THEY'RE NOW GETTING TO

UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OR

THERE'S SOMEONE TO GUIDE THEN

WILL THROUGH IT.

I FEEL THAT BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A

TIME WHERE SOCIAL MEDIA KEY IN

EVERYTHING, EVERYONE SEES

SOMEONE ELSE'S WEALTH AND THEY

WANT TO LIVE THAT LIFE.

THIS PERSON IS EATING WELL.

I WANT TO EAT WELL WHY.

DOES HE HAVE IT AND I DON'T HAVE

IT?

YOU START ON BUILD THIS HATE

WITHIN YOU.

SOONER OR LATER, WE START TO

SHOW.

I JUST LIKE AS WE MENTIONED, THE

NAZIS.

WHAT THEY'VE GROWN.

THEY'VE GROWN ENVIOUS OF OUR

JEWISH BROTHERS.

>> LET ME COME BACK TO THE

NOTION OF OTHERNESS.

WE'VE ALL TOUCHED ON THAT A

LITTLE BIT.

THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF

OTHERNESS.

TALK IN TERMS OF JUST THE

IDENTITIES OF THE VICTIMS AND

HOW THEY LOOK DIFFERENT HERE.

>> SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT

QUESTION.

I JUST WANT TO MENTION ONE OTHER

THING.

THAT SO MUCH OF THIS IS

PERCEPTION.

BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE JEWISH

COMMUNITY HAS REPUTATION AND

THERE IS A REALITY TO THE GREAT

WEALTH THE JUICE HAVE AMASSED IN

THE UNITED STATES, PARTICULARLY

JEWS LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY

LINE.

SO I'M SURE THIS PERCEPTION IS

REAL AND I'VE SEEN INTERVIEWS

WHERE UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE ARE

SAYING THEY'VE GOT IT.

AND THERE IS A SMALL PIE AND

THEY'RE TAKING OUR RESOURCES.

>> RIGHT.

THE PERCEPTION THAT IT IS REAL

BUT ALSO LUMPING THE ENTIRE

GROUP TOGETHER.

YOU'RE SAYING, THERE ARE SOME

JEWS DOING WELL ECONOMICALLY,

OTHERS ARE NOT.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PREJUDICE,

IT IS TAKING A GROUP AND SAYING

EVERYBODY IS LIKE THAT.

THEY'RE ALL LIKE THAT.

>> I THINK IGNORANCE ADDS TO

PREJUDICE.

I FEEL THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR

IGNORANCE, IN GENERAL, WE FAIL

TO SEE EVERYONE.

WE JUST PUT AN IMAGE IN

EVERYONE.

HE HAS IT.

THIS PERSON ALSO HAS IT.

BECAUSE HE'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN,

HE WILL HAVE IT LIKE THIS.

BECAUSE HE'S JEWISH, HE'LL HAVE

IT LIKE THIS.

BECAUSE HE'S MUSLIM, HE'LL HAVE

IT LIKE THIS.

WE DECIDE TO PUT ONE IMAGE ON

TOP OF THAT WHOLE GROUP OF

PEOPLE.

WHETHER IT IS THEIR PSYCH, THEIR

GENDER, THEIR RELIGION OR RACE

OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE ROLE THAT

SOCIAL MEDIA HAS PLAYED?

>> WE BELIEVE THE SOCIAL MEDIA

INFORMATION THAT WE ARE VIEWING

SO CONSTANTLY.

AND I WOULD ADD TO THIS THAT

WE'RE IN A TIME IN HISTORY WHERE

THERE ARE A LOT OF POPULIST

LEADERS THAT HAVE COME TO THE

FORE, AND THE DIALOGUE USED ON

SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYWHERE

TRICKLES DOWN, AND THE IDEA THAT

YOU ARE ENTITLED TO SAY, THESE

PEOPLE WITH ME ARE GOOD.

PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WITH ME ARE

BAD.

AND MAKE IT THAT CUT AND DRY SO

THERE'S NO NUANCE.

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE BAD

PEOPLE IS THIS WE GET RID OF

THEM.

AND THE LANGUAGE BEING USED FROM

LEADERS FROM A PSYCHO ANALYTIC

PERSPECTIVE.

THESE ARE THE PARENTS OF THE

COUNTRY, WE LOOK TO THEM ONSET A

CERTAIN TONE.

WHEN THE TONE TRICKLES DOWN TO

EVERYONE, IT MAKES IT MORE

DIFFICULT TO USE AN IMPORTANT

MORAL COMPASS TO DECIDE HOW

EMPATHICALLY WE WANT TO TREAT

PEOPLE.

AND YOU'RE HEARING A LOT OF VERY

INFLAMED DIALOGUE.

>> THE FOUNDATION OF POPULISM IS

ESSENTIALLY, US VERSUS THEM.

THEN CAN'T BE.

AS A CONSEQUENCE, WE NEED THE

EJECT THEM SO IT IS JUST US

HERE.

AND THE NOTION OF, CLEARLY,

THERE WERE OTHERS, THE NAZIS,

ESPECIALLY.

THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THE

ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA.

BUT THE PLAY BOOK SEEMS THE SAME

WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT.

THE INFLAMMATORY COMMENTS.

>> AT THE TIME, IT WAS DIALOGUE

TO LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE.

>> BIG RALLIES.

THE NUREMBERG RALLIES.

>> THE LEADERS OF MINORITY

GROUPS HAVE TO BE VOCAL.

IF ALL YOU GET ON YOUR FACEBOOK

FEED ARE CERTAIN KINDS OF STEREO

TYPE THAT'S CONFIRM OTHER KINDS

OF IMPRESSIONS YOU HAVE OF OTHER

PEOPLE AND YOUR OWN LEADERS,

WHERE YOU GO TO CHURCH, A MOSQUE

OR A SYNAGOGUE, ARE NOT SPEAKING

UP AGAINST THOSE PERCEPTIONS.

WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN

THIS COUNTRY.

GOD BLESS WE CAN DO THAT.

SO EVERYBODY IS EXERCISING THAT.

BUT WHAT COMES WITH THAT IS THE

NECESSITY THEREFORE FOR THERE TO

BE OPPOSING VOCAL VOICES.

AND I'M NOT SEEING THAT ENOUGH.

>> WE'VE HEARD THE MEN INVOLVED

IN THE MACHETE ATTACK IN MUNSEY.

HIS FAMILY SAYING HE'S MENTALLY

ILL.

WE'VE HEARD THAT A LOT WHEN WE

TALK ABOUT THESE TYPES OF

ATTACKS.

SO THIS IS A BIG QUESTION.

THE ROLE OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN

ANTI-SEMITISM, HOW DO WE DEFINE

IT?

HOW DO WE IDENTIFY IT?

>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR

PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.

WHEN WE LOOK AT VIOLENCE IN

GENERAL, WHICH CAN BE PROPAGATED

BY PREJUDICE OR OTHER THINGS,

FOR THAT MATTER.

THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WITH

MENTAL I HAVENESS THAT CAN

COMMIT VIOLENT ACTS IS BASICALLY

IN THE LOW 20s.

A SMALL NUMBER.

I WON'T SAY THAT IT IS ZERO

BECAUSE IT'S NOT.

>> JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE MENTALLY

ILL DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE VIOLENT.

>> VERY MUCH THE CASE.

IF YOU'RE MENTALLY ILL, YOU ARE

FAR MORE LIKELY TO BE A VICTIM

OF VIOLENCE THAN TO PERPETRATE

VIOLENCE.

SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO

UNDERSTAND.

OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE WITH MENTAL

ILLNESS CAN BE JUST AS

SUSCEPTIBLE AND MAYBE DEPENDING

ON THE TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESS,

MAYBE TAKING IN THE INFORMATION

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE

DESENSIZATION TO, I'M GOOD,

YOU'RE BAD.

I CAN GET RID OF YOU IF I WANT

TO OR YOU CAN BE EXTERMINATED.

SO THEY'RE NOT IMMUNE IF YOU

HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS BUT IT DOES

NOT PROPAGATE PREJUDICE

PARTICULARLY.

IT DOES NOT PROPAGATE A

PROPENSITY TO COMMIT A VIOLENT

ACT.

>> IT SOUNDS LIKE A CONVENIENT

REMEDY.

>> TO ANOTHER, THEY WOULD LIKE

TO POINT TO ANOTHER MARGINALIZED

GROUP FROM WHICH THEY CAN DIVIDE

THEMSELVES AND SAY, THAT'S NOT

ME OR MINE TO ANOTHER GROUP THAT

WE PREJUDICE AND STIGMATIZE.

THAT'S MORE COMFORTABLE THAN THE

REALITY WHICH IS --

>> LET'S TALK SOLUTIONS.

LET'S START WITH COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT.

TALK ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT AND HOW YOU THINK

WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING CAN BE

UTILIZED TO HELP, TO HOPEFULLY

ELIMINATE ACTS OF VIOLENCE

DIRECTED AT MUSLIMS.

AT JEWS.

ANY OF THE TARGET GROUPS.

>> AT LOVE COMMUNITIES HAVE THE

FEELING THAT THE MUSLIM AND THE

JEWISH COMMUNITY CAN NEVER GET

ALONG.

WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHEN HANNUKKAH

WAS TAKING PLACE, WE'VE DECIDED

TO WORK THE JEWISH PATROL

ORGANIZATION AND REACHED OUT TO

THEM WEST WISHED THEM HAPPY

HOLIDAYS AND WE'VE PATROLLED THE

SYNAGOGUES.

AND THE CHURCHES IN THE

CHRISTMAS SEASON.

AND WE'VE MADE SURE THAT OUR

VOLUNTEERS WERE OUTSIDE MAKING

SURE THE COMMUNITY IS SAFE AND

SECURE.

A LOT OF OUR OFFICERS ARE NOT IN

THE PRECINCT BECAUSE OF THE

HOLIDAY SEASON.

MANY OF THEM TAKE OFF SO WE MAKE

SURE THAT WE'RE THERE EXTRA,

GIVING TO LATE NIGHT.

IT WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT WE

HAD TO GATHER TOGETHER IN

BROOKLYN BECAUSE OF AN ATTACK.

WHAT TOOK PLACE, 40 MINUTES FROM

HERE.

AND THAT WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE

THAT IT TOOK PLACE IN A RABBI'S

HOUSE.

WE DON'T EXPECT THAT.

SOMETHING WE ARE DOING AS A

MUSLIM COMMUNITY, MAKING THEM

FEED HOMELESS.

WE COME BACK AND FEED THE

HOMELESS.

WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

GATHER WITH PEOPLE, SPEAK TO

PEOPLE.

THE SAME THING WHEN WE GO ON

PATROL.

WE TALK TO EVERYONE.

MUSLIM, NONMUSLIM, ATHEISM,

WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

IT IS A DIALOGUE.

BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING THESE

DIALOGUES, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE

BETTER UNDERSTANDING OUR

CULTURE, OUR DIFFERENCE OF

BELIEF.

AND IT IS MOST LIKELY THEY WILL

BECOME MORE ACCEPTING OF IT.

>> LET ME ASK BUT THIS.

ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS, AND THERE

IS NOT A SINGLE SOLUTION.

THERE'S MORE POLICE PRESENCE.

IS THERE A POINT WHERE YOU GET

TOO MUCH OF THE POLICE PRESENCE?

OR IS TOO MUCH NOT EVEN ENOUGH?

>> I THINK MORE OF A POLICE

PRESENCE, WHEN THERE IS A

CLEARLY IDENTIFIED PROBLEM, IS A

GOOD THING.

I THINK THAT FRANKLY ALL

INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE TEACHABLE

ABILITY, LET'S SAY, STATEMENT

ABILITY, NEED TO CONTRIBUTE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POLICE,

WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT

SCHOOLS AND WE SHOULD BE TALKING

ABOUT, OF COURSE, THE FAMILIES.

>> I'M GOING TO GET TO ALL OF

THOSE.

>> WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT

IS HUMAN NATURE TO FEEL SOME OF

THESE FEELINGS THAT WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT.

YOU DON'T BELONG TO ME OR I ENVY

YOU.

BUT IT IS SOCIETY'S DUTY, IF YOU

WILL, TO CIVILIZE PEOPLE AND

TEACH THEM EMPATHY, AND HAVE

THEM HAVE A MORAL COMPASS.

>> DO YOU BOTH AGREE, THE NOTION

OF MORE POLICE PRESENCE CAN BE

HELPFUL?

>> IT IS NECESSARY.

WE NEED IT.

UNFORTUNATELY, SYNAGOGUES, I'VE

GONE TO EUROPE MANY TIMES.

YOU GO TO EUROPE, YOU OFTEN

CAN'T TELL WHERE THE SYNAGOGUE

IS.

YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT WHEN YOU

SEE THE TWO OR THREE GUYS WITH

SUB MACHINE GUYS IN ZPRONLT THEY

ASK TO SEE YOUR PASSPORT AND ASK

YOU TEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE

PRAYERS TO AFFIRM THAT YOU'RE

JEWISH.

>> ARE WE CLOSE TO THAT?

>> CLEARLY, THAT WOULD PROVIDE

PROTECTION.

IS THAT WHAT WE WANT?

>> NO.

IT WOULD BE THE GREATEST SHAME

IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

WHICH CELEBRATES PLURALISM AND

EQUALITY AND TOLERANCE THAT WE

WOULD HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THAT.

THAT'S THE WAY JEWS HAVE HAD TO

LIVE.

AND DEPENDING ON HOW WE DEAL

WITH THIS SITUATION IS WHETHER

OR NOT IT WILL BE, TO BECOME THE

NEW NORMAL.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NOTION

OF SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES.

THE MARCHES HAVE BEEN MARVELOUS,

IMPORTANT DEMONSTRATIONS OF

SOLIDARITY.

HERE'S THE REALITY.

THE PEOPLE MARCHING ARE NOT THE

PROBLEM.

THEY'RE NOT GOING OUT THERE AND

CREATING DIFFICULTIES.

SO SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO GET TO THE

PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE

MARCHES.

THOSE ARE THE ONES TO GET TO.

I'M NOT SAYING THIS ISN'T

VALUABLE.

IT IS.

DEMONSTRATIONS OF SOLIDARITY AND

DEEP BELIEF AND RESILIENCE ARE

IMPORTANT.

AND IN MANY WAYS, I'LL GO TO YOU

WITH THIS, I DON'T THINK YOU'VE

COME OUT OF THE WOMB INBRED

HATRED.

>> YOU DON'T.

BUT YOU CAN BE TAUGHT TO HATE.

BUT YOU MIGHT FEEL FEELINGS OF

HATE WITHOUT BEING TAUGHT, TO BE

HONEST.

THERE IS A SADISTIC SIDE TO

HUMAN NATURE.

WE ALL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE

SOMEWHAT FASCINATED BY GORY

THINGS, BY DISTURBING THINGS, BY

COOL THINGS.

IT IS AN INTEREST, LET'S SAY.

BUT SOCIETY TEACHES US WHAT IS

OKAY AND WHAT IS NOT OKAY.

SO WHILE YOU COULD COME TO HATE

WITHOUT BEING NECESSARILY, AND

YOU COULD BE TAUGHT TO HATE,

UNFORTUNATELY, MANY CHILDREN DO

HEAR THIS RHETORIC IN THEIR HOME

AND THEY GROW UP WITH PEOPLE WHO

HATE.

BUT MOREOVER, YOU HAVE TO BE

TAUGHT TO BE EMPATHIC.

TO HAVE A GOOD MORAL COMPASS.

THAT'S THE POINT IN PARENTING.

PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO SAY,

HEY, THIS IS RIGHT, THIS IS

WRONG.

WE DON'T DO THIS AND THIS IS

WHY.

IF WE DO THIS, WE FEEL BAD.

PREJUDICE NEEDS TO BE PART OF

CURRICULUM, ESSENTIALLY.

>> MY QUESTION IS THIS.

I HOPE IT ISN'T TRUE.

WE HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT.

AND THE MAYOR WAS TALKING ABOUT

GETTING PROGRAMS INTO THE

SCHOOLS.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS.

AND MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT TOO

LATE?

HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE ALREADY FORMED

SO MUCH OF WHO THEY ARE,

INCLUDING THAT NOTION OF WHO

THEY HATE BY THE TIME THEY GET

TO MIDDLE SCHOOL?

BY THE TIME THEY GET TO HIGH

SCHOOL?

>> PEOPLE IN MY PROFESSION WILL

TELL YOU, THIS SHOULD START IN

THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND IT

SHOULD BE PRESENT AT HOME AND

EARLIER.

BECAUSE IN THOSE EARLIER YEARS,

A MORAL COMPASS IS FORMING.

AND YOU'RE RIGHT THAT BY, IT'S

NOT, LOOK, YOUR BRAIN IS PLASTIC

AND YOU CAN KEEP ACQUIRING

THINGS AND YOU CAN KEEP

EVOLVING.

YOU'RE UNDOING A CERTAIN AMOUNT

BY LATER.

SO EARLIER IS BETTER.

>> SO LATER, YOU'RE CORRECTING.

>> ESSENTIALLY.

>> HOW AWESOME WOULD IT BE IF IN

OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND BY THE

WAY, IMPORTANT TO BE IN PUBLIC

AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

>> YES.

>> THAT ALL KIDS ARE EXPOSED TO

LEADERS, NOT EVEN LEADERS.

JUST MEMBERS OF OTHER FAITHS AND

ETHNICITIES SO THEY CAN HAVE

THAT POSITIVE IMAGE OF OTHER

PEOPLE.

BECAUSE IF THEY HAVEN'T REALLY

MET, AND WE DON'T SPENT ENOUGH

TIME, EVEN IN NEW YORK CITY.

WE DON'T SPEND ENOUGH TIME

GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.

IF EVERY KID WAS REQUIRED TO GET

TO KNOW SOMEBODY FROM A

DIFFERENT FAITH OR GROUP AND

THEY GREW ONE THAT IMPRESSION,

THAT COULD AT LEAST FIGHT

AGAINST THE IMAGES OF THINGS

THEY HEAR.

>> I AGREE.

JUST LIKE WE HAVE CAREER DAYS.

POSSIBLY HAVE A DAY WHERE WE

BRING DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS OF

PEOPLE, DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES,

PEOPLE WHO COME IN AND SHARE WHO

THEY ARE AND HOW THEY FEEL.

>> WHAT THAT DOES, WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT HUMANIZING.

AND ONE OF THE BEST WEAPONS, I

GUESS I'LL SAY, OF PREJUDICE, IS

DEHUMANIZING.

>> WE CAN INTRODUCE PRESUMES TO

SCHOOLS.

WE CAN DO THAT.

HOW DO WE GET TO PARENTS?

HOW DO WE GET TO THE CHILDREN

WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG AND

IMPRESSIONABLE AND MALLEABLE?

AND LEARNING THESE THINGS?

HOW DO WE GET PARENTS TO

UNDERSTAND THE EXTRAORDINARY

POWER THEY HAVE TO TEACH EMPATHY

AND NOT HATRED.

>> I DON'T MEAN TO SOUND

CYNICAL.

I THINK WE HAVE TO START WITH

THE LAW.

I THINK PARENTS NEED TO KNOW,

NOBODY WILL GET AWAY WITH A HATE

CRIME.

WITH A BIAS CRIME.

AND THEY NEED TO BE AFRAID TO

COMMIT THESE ACTS AND THEY NEED

TO TEACH THEIR KIDS THAT THEY

WILL HAVE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.

THIS NEW BAIL LAW IN NEW YORK

CITY WHICH IS ALLOWING PEOPLE

WHO COMMIT HATE CRIMES, AS LONG

AS THEY'RE NOT RIDICULOUSLY

VIOLENT, THEY GET OUT UNTIL

THEIR TRIAL.

AND WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS IN THE

LAST COUPLE WEEKS.

PEOPLE HAVE COMMITTED ATTACKS.

AND WERE LET OUT.

THAT HAS TO CHANGE.

>> MUHAMMAD?

>> I FEEL LIKE WITH A RABBI MARK

SAID IS VERY IMPORTANT.

ALSO, IF WE CAN START CORRECTING

AS DR. GAIL HAS MENTIONED, START

CORRECTING THESE PARENTS.

AS A CHILD, WE GET THESE

PERCEPTION OF THE MINORITIES AS

A CERTAIN WAY TO HATE TOWARD

THEM.

IF THE PARENTS WOULD START

CORRECTING THEIR HATE, CATCHING

THEMSELVES BEFORE COMMITTING THE

MISTAKE.

THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TEACH

THEIR CHILDREN.

MANY PEOPLE HATE ANOTHER GROUP

OF PEOPLE, MINORITIES, WITHOUT

REALIZING THAT THEY'RE HATING

SOMEONE.

UNTIL THEY DEHUMANIZE THAT

PERSON.

NOW THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE NO

LONGER HUMANS TO THEM SO THEY

DON'T FEEL EMPATHY, THEY DON'T

FEEL ANYTHING TOWARD THEM.

ONE THE OF BEST WAYS WOULD BE TO

FIRST GETTING PARENTS TO LEARN

ABOUT HATE ITSELF.

WHAT IT IS THAT THEY HATE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE HATE.

BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE

MIGHT HATE, WE JUST SPREAD IT

ALL OVER.

>> EDUCATION IS USUALLY

IMPORTANT.

I THINK MOST PARENTS WOULD

ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WANT TO

BRING UP A CHILD WHO WILL COME

INTO A WORLD THAT WE WOULD WANT

TO BE IN.

THEY WANT A CHILD WHO WILL BE A

GOOD CITIZEN OF THE WORLD.

AND I THINK BASICALLY, TALKING

WITH PARENTS, WHETHER IT IS

SCHOOLS TALKING WITH PARENTS,

PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.

BEING ABLE TO TALK TO PARENTS

ABOUT HOW THEY CAN BEST DO THAT.

BASICALLY, EDUCATION ABOUT THESE

THINGS.

IT REALLY STARTS AT HOME.

EVEN WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL,

THEY STILL COME HOME.

THE PARENTS WILL STILL BE THE

BIGGEST INFLUENCE EVEN IN THE

TEEN YEARS WHEN THEY THINK THEIR

KIDS LISTENING AT ALL, THEY ARE.

SO WE HAVE TO EDUCATE PARENTS

ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN BE DOING.

WHEN THEY GO TO A SYNAGOGUE,

WHEN THEY GO TO CHURCH AND HOW

THEY INTERACT WITH OTHERS AND

HOW THEY TALK WITH THEIR

CHILDREN ABOUT IT.

>> THESE ARE EXTRAORDINARILY

COMPLEX ISSUES.

THEY ARE EXTRAORDINARILY

IMPORTANT ISSUES.

I THINK HAVING THESE

CONVERSATIONS, HAVING THE THREE

OF YOU HERE, CONTRIBUTING YOUR

THOUGHTS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.

>> AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING

US FOR THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF

"METROFOCUS."

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RABBI

WILDES ORGANIZATIONS, MUHAMMAD

KAHN AND DR. GAIL SALT DOES Z.

>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE

BY

JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH,

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III,

THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA

PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM.

BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ,

ROSALIND P. WALTER,

BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG,

AND BY...