>>> THIS IS "METRO FOCUS" WITH

RAFAEL, JACK FORD AND JENNA

FLANAGAN.

"METRO FOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE

BY SILVA A. AND SIMON

PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM AND JOAN FUND,

BERNARD AND DECEA DENISE SCHWAR

BY JANET SIDLER, JODY AND JOHN

ARNHOLD, JUDY AND JOSH WESTIN.

DR. ROBERT C FOUNDATION.

♪

♪

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO

"METRO FOCUS."

I'M JACK FORD.

NEW NUMBERS CONFIRM NEW YORK

CITY IS IN THE MIDST OF A

DISTURBING RISE IN HATE CRIME.

PUT INTO THE LATEST REPORTS FROM

THE NYPD.

HATE CRIMES FROM THE FIRST FIVE

MONTHS OF THIS YEAR DOUBLED

COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST

YEAR.

MUCH OF THE HATE IS DIRECTED AT

THE CITY'S ASIAN COMMUNITY,

THERE IS ALSO A SPIKE IN ANTI

SAY ME

S

S

SEMETIC ATTACKS AND GUN VIOLENCE

REACHED THE INSIDE OF CHURCHES

AND OTHER HOUSES OF WORSHIP.

IN RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENCE, A

GROUP OF NEW YORK ORGANIZATIONS

RECENTLY CONVENED THE INITIATIVE

CREATED TO INCREASE SECURITY AND

SPEAK OUT AGAINST VIOLENT

EXTREMISM.

TONIGHT, AS PART OF OUR

EXPLORING HATE INITIATIVE

EXAMINING THE ROOTS AND RISE OF

ANTI-SEMITISM, RACISM AND

EXTREMISM IN AMERICA, WE'LL TALK

TO SOME OF THE FOUNDERS AND

PARTICIPANTS IN THIS GROUP SO

THEY CAN SHARE THEIR IDEAS WITH

US.

SO, JOINING US THIS EVENING,

WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE EVAN

BERNSTEIN, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE

AND FOUNDING CO-CHAIR OF THE

SECURITY COUNSEL.

PASTOR GILLMAN ROSE, PRESIDENT

OF THE 67th PRECINCT CLERGY

COUNSEL IN BROOKLYN.

A BRONZE BASED COMMUNITY

ACTIVIST AND FOUNDER OF THE

MUSLIM MEDIA CORPORATION AND

RABBI BOB CAPTAIN, DIRECTOR FOR

THE CENTER OF COMMUNAL

LEADERSHIP COUNSEL OF NEW YORK.

SO WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU AND

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING

TIME WITH US TONIGHT.

APPRECIATE IT.

EVAN, CAN I START WITH YOU AS

ONE OF THE CO-FOUNDERS OF THIS

GROUP.

YOU EACH HAVE VARIOUS PHYSICAL

LOCATIONS AND ALSO MISSIONS IN

WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

WHAT WAS THEN BEHIND THE IDEA

THAT SAID LET'S CREATE A

COALESCE AND REACH OUT TO THESE

GROUPS AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO

BIND OURSELVES TOGETHER AND

PERFORM SOME OF THESE IMPORTANT

FUNCTIONS IN THE INTRODUCTION?

>> WELL, THANK YOU, JACK, FOR

HAVING US AND SUPPORT AND

CONVERSATION.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

THE EMPHASIS BEHIND THIS IS WHEN

I STARTED A YEAR AGO, THE NEW

CEO WAS HAVING CONVERSATIONS

WITH MITCH SILVER WHO HAD RECORD

COMMUNITY SECURITY RECORD PART

OF THE FEDERATION OF NEW YORK

AND TALKING ABOUT THE NEED

BEYOND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND

TRYING TO FIND WAYS THAT WE

COULD BRING SECURITY, WHICH IS

NOW ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WHAT

WE DECIDED TO FIND THE FIRST

UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WE NEED

TOGETHER.

THE FIRST CONVERSATION WAS

BRINGING RABBI BOB AND PASTOR

GILL AND OBVIOUSLY SHAKEN AND

OTHER GROUP MEMBERS NOW BECAUSE

WE KNOW THIS IS SUCH A CRITICAL

MOMENT IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY

AND CITY'S HISTORY AND WE NEED

TO DO THIS TOGETHER AND SECURITY

UNFORTUNATELY MAY BE A BRIDGE

THAT CAN BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

CO-WHHAT -- TO COALITIONS NOW.

>> I THINK VISUAL IMAGE, THE

JOINING TOGETHER IN ADDITION TO

PRACTICALLY WHAT YOU'VE BEEN

DOING BUT FOR OUR VIEWERS TO

UNDERSTAND, LET ME ASK YOU TO

GIVE A QUICK CAPITALIZATION OF

YOUR ORGANIZATION AND WHAT THEY

DO.

PASTOR GILL, YOU FIRST.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JACK, FOR

THAT QUESTION AND FOR BEING ON

THIS PLATFORM.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

THE GOD SQUAD IS A GROUP OF

PASTORS WHO DECIDED TO RESPOND

TO THE VIOLENCE THAT WE SAW IN

OUR COMMUNITIES AND TO BE ABLE

TO TRIAGE THOSE FAMILIES TO HELP

GIVE HIM CLERGY SUPPORT AND

SERVE OTHER BRIDGES BETWEEN THE

COMMUNITY AND POLICE DEPARTMENT

IN OUR LOCAL AREA.

>> HOW ABOUT YOU?

>> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING

US.

YOU KNOW, AFTER 9/11 MY WIFE AND

I HAVE DECIDED THAT WE'LL CHANGE

THE WORLD AND WE'LL CHANGE THE

MUSLIM WORLD AND AS CRAZY AS IT

MAY SOUND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ON

OUR WAY IN CHANGING THE MUSLIM

WORLD.

WE'RE CHANGING THE HEART THE AND

MINDS TO THE DEADLY CRAZIEST

PEOPLE IN OUR RELIGION.

IN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, YOU

KNOW, AFTER THE CONSULATE, YOU

KNOW, WAS IGNITED AGAIN, WE

BECAME PRETTY MUCH FULL-TIME,

YOU KNOW, RESPONDERS TO SOCIAL

MEDIA ANTIS-SEMITIC MESSAGING TO

RECRUIT MORE LIKE MINDED PEOPLE.

SO WE'RE VERY, VERY SURE.

NO COMMENT WILL BE LEFT

UNANSWERED.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE DO AND IT IS

WORKING VERY WELL AND WE'LL

CONTINUE TO DO IT AND ALONG THE

WAY, SO MANY PEOPLE, MUSLIM

INCLUDED HAVE JOINED THE COURSE.

>> THANK YOU.

BEING AMONGST MY FRIENDS AND

COLLEAGUES AND FELLOW JOURNEY

PEOPLE, IT JUST GIVES ME THE

STRENGTH TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS

KIND OF WORK.

WE'RE LIVING IN A WORLD OF

ALMOST TOXIC POLARIZATION WHERE

IT'S NOT JUST AFFECTING THE

JEWISH COMMUNITY AND

ANTI-SEMITISM OR AAPI COMMUNITY

AND ANTI ASIAN WORK OR WHAT IS

HAPPENING IN THE BLACK

COMMUNITY, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN

THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.

THIS IS A PANDEMIC ACROSS ALL

LINES AND ONLY BY GETTING US

TOGETHER CAN WE BEGIN TO MEET

THIS CHALLENGE.

WE HAVE TO DO THIS TOGETHER.

WE CAN'T SIT IN OUR SILOS SO MY

SILO IS THE JCRC, THE JEWISH

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNSEL IN

NEW YORK.

IT'S AN UMBRELLA GROUP OF 60

MAJOR JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS IN

NEW YORK.

MY PARTICULAR ROLE THERE IS

INCENTIVE FOR COMMUNITY

LEADERSHIP.

IT IS THE SHARED SOCIETY

DIVISION AND WHAT WE MEAN BY

SHARED SOCIETY, WE NEED TO LEARN

HOW TO SHARE THE SOCIETY.

WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SHARE

POWER.

WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SHARE

RESOURCES.

WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SHARE

KNOWLEDGE AND WE HAVE TO LEARN

HOW TO SHARE CHALLENGES.

IT'S THIS INITIATIVE THAT DOES

JUST THAT.

IT BRINGS US TOGETHER.

BRINGS ALL THIS KNOWLEDGE, ALL

THIS PROVERB AND PASSION AND ALL

THIS TOGETHERNESS TO HELP MAKE

SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE WALK INTO

A HOUSE OF WORSHIP, THEY FEEL

SAFE BECAUSE IF YOU WALK INTO A

HOUSE OF WORSHIP AND YOU DON'T

FEEL SAFE, IT'S NOT A HOUSE OF

WORSHIP.

IST A HOUSE OF FEAR.

>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT

SOMETHING YOU'VE ALL TOUCHED O

AND ELABORATE.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE

VOICES FROM ALL OF THESE FAITHS

BEING HEARD TODAY?

>> I THINK THAT IT'S CRITICAL

BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF TIMES

MY CONVERSATIONS WITH FAITH

LEADERS IN NEW YORK CERTAIN

CONVERSATIONS IN CERTAIN GROUPS

A LOT OF TIMES I HEARD

CONVERSATIONS WHERE PEOPLE FELT

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WAS KIND OF

HOLDING ON TOO TIGHT TO SECURITY

CONVERSATIONS WITH ELECTED

OFFICIALS AND WITH OTHER LEADERS

IN NEW YORK AND HOW OTHER GROUPS

WERE NOT BEING BROUGHT IN.

I REMEMBER A SPECIFIC

CONVERSATION I HAD WITH PASTOR

GILL JUST A FEW YEARS AGO ON

THAT WHEN IT WAS TAKING PLACE

WITHIN THE CITY AND WHY OTHER

GROUPS WERE NOT INCLUDED AND

NOW, YOU KNOW, GROWING VOLUNTEER

SECURITY FOR JEWISH HOUSES OF

WORSHIP ACROSS NEW YORK AND

ACROSS THE COUNTRY IT WAS A

NATURAL TIME FOR US TO START

HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS TO

BRING IN, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE.

SO I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE

IN THE SILOS AND A LOT OF TIMES

WE'RE IN OUR BUBBLE.

IT'S GETTING WORSE AND WORSE BUT

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WE NEED

TO BREAK DOWN THE WALLS AND

HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WE

DIDN'T HAVE A FEW YEARS AGO.

>> SO I WANT TO FOLLOW UP -- I'M

SORRY, I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON

THAT.

THROUGH THE LENS OF MY

COMMUNITY, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY,

THROUGH OUR CSI, COMMUNITY

SECURITY INITIATIVE AS A JOINT

PROJECT BETWEEN THE FEDERATION

AND JCRC THAT HELPS TO BOLSTER

SECURITY AND SYNAGOGUES AND

JEWISH INSTITUTIONS.

I GET WHAT SECURITY MEANS TO THE

JEWISH COMMUNITY.

HOWEVER, ONLY BY SITTING BY THE

PASTOR OR ANYBODY ELSE ON THE

COUNSEL CAN I BEGIN TO

UNDERSTAND WHAT SECURITY MEANS

TO THEM AND HOW SECURITY NEEDS

TO LOOK, HOW IT NEEDS TO OPERATE

AND GOING BACK TO THAT WORD

AGAIN, HOW DO WE SHARE THE

RESOURCES OF SECURITY BECAUSE

FRANKLY, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT THE NYPD OR INTERNAL

SECURITY MEASURES IN OUR OWN

SYNAGOGUES OR CHURCHES OR

MOSQUES OR TEMPLES, THERE IS A

LIMITED AMOUNT OF RESOURCES OUT

THERE AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO

LEARN HOW TO MAKE SURE -- WELL,

THOSE LIMITED RESOURCES BECOME

LESS LIMITED AND WE KNOW HOW TO

SHARE THEM IN A WAY THAT WE CAN

UTILIZE THEM TO MAKE SURE ALL OF

US ARE FEELING SAFE.

>> YOU USE AN INTERESTING TERM

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SHARING.

AND WHEN WE THINK OF HOW OUR

DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

AND I DON'T MEAN THIS IN ANY WAY

AS AN INDICTMENT OF THEM BUT WE

THINK OF THEM EXISTING ON THEIR

OWN, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN

PHYSICAL STREUCTURES.

EACH OF THEM HAVE THEIR OWN

BELIEVES AND TENANTS.

SO IT'S NOT AS IF IT'S

IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO INTERACT.

THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN POSSIBLE.

CERTAINLY BUT YOU HAVE A CERTAIN

INDEPENDENCE HERE.

HOW THEN DO YOU ENACT THIS

SHARING RABBI BOB THAT YOU

MENTIONED?

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN THEN THAT

EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUAL

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES CAN SAY

LET WORK OUTSIDE OF OUR LITTERA

FIGURATIVE WALL TO DO THAT?

PASTOR GILL, YOU FIRST?

>> I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY

WE'RE ALL PEOPLE.

AT THE END OF THE DAY WE ALL

WANT SAFETY AND SECURITY.

AT THE END OF THE DAY WE'RE ALL

FEELING THE SAME THING, THE HURT

WHEN SOMEONE VIOLATES OUR

SANCTUARY.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE

PEOPLE.

WE LIVE TOGETHER ON TOP OF ONE

ANOTHER.

AT THE END OF THE DAY WE'RE

GOODWILL PEOPLE SO THEREFORE TO

SHARE THE RESOURCE WITH JUST THE

NATURAL PROGRESSION OF PEOPLE OF

FAITH SO WHETHER IT'S FROM THE

ABRAHAM SIDE OR NOT, THE POINT

IS GOODWILL TO PEOPLE MEANS THAT

WE WOULD LIKE FOR ALL

INDIVIDUALS TO DWELL ON SAFETY

AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRAY AND

TO WORSHIP, YOU KNOW, IN SAFETY

AND HAVE AN EASE THAT THEY CAN

DO SO.

HOUSES OF WORSHIP OR PLACES OR

WORSHIP ARE THE MOST SACRED

PLACES AND WE'VE SEEN OVER THE

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE THAT

SPECIFICALLY AND PRIMARILY FOR

BLACK CHURCHES FROM CHARLESTON

TO TEXAS YOU'RE SEEING THAT

AGAIN, THESE PLACES HAVE BEEN

DESECRATED BY HATE AND IT GOES

ACROSS THE BOARD.

I CAN GIVE EXAMPLES FROM MUSLIM

COMMUNITY TO JEWISH COMMUNITY.

EVERYONE HURT THE SAME WAY.

SHARING RESOURCES IS BECAUSE

WE'RE HUMAN BEINGS.

I HOPE THAT WAS NOT SIMPLIFIED

BUT THAT'S JUST A FACT.

>> AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE

SPECIFIC PROBLEMS AND, YOU KNOW,

PASTOR GILL YOU TALKED ABOUT

ACTUAL ATTACKS ON PLACES OF

WORSHIP.

YOU TALKED EARLY ON ABOUT THE

PARTICULAR CHALLENGES FOR THE

MUSLIM COMMUNITY.

ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.

>> YOU KNOW, THE MUSLIM

COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THE MOST

MISSED UNDERSTOOD COMMUNITY

BECAUSE OF THE DESTRUCTIVE

ELEMENT AND CAUSED THE MOST

DAMAGING WHEREVER THEY ARE.

BECAUSE OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THEY

ARE VERY, VERY PRESSED OF MUSLIM

AND WHEN YOU GO AROUND NEW YORK

CITY ON FRIDAY AND LISTEN TO THE

SENTIMENT GIVEN BY THESE

RELIGIOUS LEADERS THEY ARE

ALMOST IDENTICIAL, THEY TALK

ABOUT SERVICES EVERY GROUP NEEDS

BUT BECAUSE OF THE DESTRUCTIVE

DEVELOPMENT FROM THE MUSLIM

COMMUNITY, UNFORTUNATELY, IT

TAKES PEOPLE LIKE US WHO WORK

HARDER AND TRY OUR BEST SO, YOU

KNOW, WE HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT

FOR US AND WE CONTINUE WITH THE

COMMUNITIES AROUND US THE JEWISH

COMMUNITIES, THE CATHOLIC

COMMUNITIES AND CHRISTIAN

COMMUNITIES AND EVER OTHER

COMMUNITY BECAUSE AT THE END OF

THE DAY, WE ARE ALL IN THIS

TOGETHER AND ONE BIAS PERSON

WHETHER IT'S ANTI BLACK, THEY

ARE A VIRUS TO EVERYBODY ELSE.

NOW THEY MAY HAVE PRIMARY

TARGETS, SECONDARY TARGETS BUT

THEY ARE EQUAL PEOPLE AND HAVE

ALMOST EVERYBODY, THEY ALSO HAVE

THEMSELVES SO IT IS OUR JOB AT

MUSLIM LEADERS IN NEW YORK CITY

TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE TO BE

VISIBLE.

WE CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVE AND WE

CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE

APPROPRIATE PROGRAM SO OUR

PEOPLE KNOW DEALING WITH THE

JUST WISH COMMUNITY, DEALING

WITH CHRISTIANS, DEALING WITH

PEOPLE WITHOUT STRESS IS NORMAL,

IT'S ACCEPTABLE.

>> EVAN, HOW DOES THE COUNSEL DO

THAT?

HOW DOES THE COUNSEL DO WHAT

RABBI BOB AND PASTOR GILL TALKED

ABOUT?

IT'S ALMOST NOT JUST A LITTER L

B

-- LITERAL BUT ACTUAL EMBRACING

OF THESE OTHER RELIGIOUS

BELIEVES AND STRUCTURES.

WHAT CAN THE COUNSEL DO TO HELP

THAT HAPPEN?

>> IT BY CREATING REAL HONEST

CONVERSATION.

RABBI BOB AND PASTOR GILL HAVE

BEEN ON DIFFERENT COUNSELS THAT

HAVE BEEN COUNSELED OR GROUPS I

HATE TO SAY IT IS FOR SHOW.

THIS IS NOT THAT GROUP.

THIS IS A DOING GROUP AND AFTER

THE FIRST MEETING WE HAD

BREAKOUT SESSIONS LED BY RABBI

BOB AND PASTOR GILL WHERE PEOPLE

ARE TALKING ABOUT, LEADERS ARE

TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES THEY

HAVE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY.

WHAT IS SO AMAZING IS THE

SIMILARITIES THE GROUPS ARE COME

FACING.

IF WE LOOK, ACT AND PRAY

DIFFERENTLY, BEING ABLE TO BRING

IN THE RIGHT SPEAKERS, BRING IN

THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND DO IT ON

A CONSISTENT BASIS SO IT NOT

JUST MEETING ONCE FOR SHOW AND

THEN IT'S OVER AND PUT IT ON

YOUR C.V.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY WANT

TO HAVE IMPACTED IN THESE

COMMUNITIES AND YOU HAVE A

VOICE, A COLLECTIVE VOICE AND WE

CAN BRING THOSE RESOURCES TO THE

TABLE ON A REGULAR BASIS TO HELP

PROVIDE THE NEEDED INFORMATION

FOR THEM.

>> ARE YOU ALL FINDING THAT

THERE IS A WILLINGNESS ON THE

PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY, A

RECOGNITION THAT YES, WE NEED TO

HAVE SOMETHING SUCH AS THE ENTER

FAITH SECURITY COUNSEL TO DEAL

WITH EACH OF YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL

PROBLEMS WHICH ARE NOT

INSIGNIFICANT IN YOUR RELIGIOUS

COMMUNITIES BUT TO SAY IN

ADDITION TO THAT, LET'S REACH

OUT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO

OTHERS.

ARE YOU FINDING IT THERE IN

TERMS OF THE PEOPLE YOU DEAL

WITH RABBI BOB?

>> NOBODY IS STANDING UP FOR ME.

NOBODY IS COMING FORWARD.

WE'RE FINDING THE EXACT

OPPOSITE.

WHEN WE STARTED TO PUT THIS

TOGETHER, NOT ONLY WAS THERE A

WILLINGNESS, IT WAS SORT OF AN

AVALANCHE OF I WANT TO BE PART

OF THIS BECAUSE WHEN YOU OFFER

THE OPPORTUNITY, A TRUE AND

HONEST OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO

GET-TOGETHERS AND LISTEN TO EACH

OTHER, HEAR EACH OTHER AND ACT

WITH EACH OTHER, THERE IS A LOT

OF GOOD FOLKS THAT WANT TO DO IT

BECAUSE FRANKLY, WE'RE NOT

WALKING INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S

SILOS.

WE'RE NOT GOING INTO OTHER

PEOPLE'S HOUSES OR WORSHIP.

I GET TO DO THAT ON A PREREGULAR

BASIS.

I'M BLESSED BY THAT.

MOST PEOPLE AREN'T.

WE'RE LIVING IN OUR OWN BUBBLES.

OUR OWN POLITICAL BUBBLES AND

MUCH MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE.

SO WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS FOLKS

ARE REALLY WILLING TO DO THIS

AND HOWEVER, AS EVAN SAID

BEFORE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE

WE'RE WALKING AWAY WITH

SOMETHING CONCRETE.

WE WANT TO WALK AWAY WITH

SOMETHING WE CAN REALLY HANG OUR

HAT ON AND SAY THAT WAS A TIME

WELL SPENT AND IT BENEFITTING MY

COMMUNITY.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE DEDICATED TO

MAKING SURE THIS IS REAL AND YOU

CAN ONLY FEEL THAT REALNESS FROM

THE FOLKS ON THE GREEN AND IF

YOU HAD ALL THE FOLKS WHO ARE

PART OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU FEEL

THAT REALNESS SO MUCH MORE SO.

SO YES, PEOPLE ARE STEPPING UP

AND STEPPING FORWARD NOT

SKEPTICALLY.

>> PASTOR GILL, ARE YOU FINDING

THE SAME THING?

>> YEAH, AT THE END OF THE DAY

EVERYONE WANTS SECURITY.

AS LEADERS WE SET THE TREND FOR

PEOPLE AND REGARDS OF SILOS, YOU

CAN, I MEAN, IF YOU JUST IN

BROOKLYN ALONE OF COURSE WITH

CHURCHES BUT HAS A BIG JEWISH

COMMUNITY, HAVE A BIG MUSLIM

COMMUNITY AND I THINK WE REALIZE

THAT WE'RE HERE TO STAY AND NO

ONE IS LEAVING SO FOR US, YOU

KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO JOIN

TOGETHER IN TERMS OF WORKING

TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THIS IS

WORKING AND WE ARE GOING TO WORK

ON IS THAT WE HAVE PROVEN THAT

WE CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT EACH

OTHER.

WHAT WE HAVE NOT PROVEN IS IF WE

CAN BUILD TOGETHER AND I THINK

THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS

OF BUILDING TOGETHER.

>> IS -- THAT'S AN INTERESTING

OBSERVATION.

AND I WONDER HOW AND EVAN, I'LL

ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.

I WONDER HOW SUCCESSFUL THE

COUNSEL CAN BE BECAUSE AS PASTOR

GILL SAID, THE HISTORY OF

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN

BECAUSE EACH OF THEM IN SOME

POINT IN TIME IN THEIR HISTORY

HAS BEEN UNDER SIEGE.

SOMETIMES LITERALLY SO THAT THEY

HAD TO PROVE THEY CAN EXIST

INDEP

INDEPENDENTLY.

SO WHAT ABOUT THAT NOTION, EVAN?

IS THAT SO TO WHAT THE HISTORIES

HAVE BEEN TO SAY LET'S FIGURE

OUT A WAY TO STAND AND EXIST

TOGETHER?

>> I DON'T THINK WE CAN AFFORD

NOT TO.

WE ARE IN A MOMENT IN TIME THAT

WE MUST START SAYING IT TOGETHER

AND WORKING TOGETHER AND WHAT

MAKES IT POSSIBLE IS THE GROUP,

WE ALL HAVE PERSONAL

RELATIONSHIPS.

I DID MY FIRST RAMADAN AT A

MOSQUE.

I'VE KNOWN RABBI BOB FOR YEARS.

WE'VE TRAVELED TOGETHER.

THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS

COUNSEL WERE ACTUALLY FRIENDS

BEFORE THIS COUNSEL WAS FOUNDED

AND I THINK IT ALLOWED FOR THIS

TO HAPPEN AND HAVING ESPECIALLY

RABBI BOB AND PASTOR GILL HELP

WITH THE RECRUITMENT, WE'RE ALL

IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE'RE NOT

COMING AT THIS STARTING WITH

FROM SCRATCH.

WE'VE ALL DONE WORK TOGETHER AT

SOME LEVEL WITHIN THE CIVIL

RIGHTS COMMUNITY, RELIGIOUS

FAITH BASED COMMUNITY.

THAT'S A HUGE BENEFIT TO THIS

GROUP THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW FOR

THIS TO MATURE INTO SOMETHING

MAYBE WE HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE AS

PEOPLE OPERATE IN SILOS WE CAN

OPERATE AS ONE UNIT.

THAT FIRST MEETING WE HAD WAS

HON FESTALLY ONE OF THE BEST

INNER FACE GROUP MEETINGS I

EVERED HAD.

RABBI BOB AND PASTOR GILL WERE

TESTED AT THAT REALLY THE

CONVERSATIONS ARE SO HONEST AND

PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY KNEW EACH

OTHER WERE SO WILLING TO BE OPEN

AND TRUTHFUL IN THOSE

CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE IT WAS A

SAFE SPACE THAT IT WAS

EXTRAORDINARY.

>> HOW DO QUESTION GET THE

COMMUNITY?

RABBI BOB, GO AHEAD.

>> SEE, I JUST WANT TO BUILD ON

WHAT EVAN SAID.

WE'VE SPENT DECADES BUILDING

THESE RELATIONSHIPS.

NOT JUST A COUPLE WEEKS.

WE DIDN'T JUST LIKE STEP INTO IT

WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM.

WE SPENT DECADES.

I'VE KNOWN PASTOR GILL SINCE,

WELL, SINCE HE WAS JUST FIRST

PASTOR GILL AND THE SHAPE IS

BEING INCREDIBLY MODEST.

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW IS FOR

ALMOST A DECADE HE HAD A

SYNAGOGUE IN HIS MOSQUE IN THE

BRONX.

HE PUTS HIS MONEY WHERE HIS

MOUTH IS AND EVAN STEPPED OFF

THE CIVIL RIGHTS IN UNBELIEVABLE

WAYS AND SOMETIMES AT THE

EXPENSE OF HIS OWN COMMUNITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE REALITY IS WE

HAVE -- DURING THE GOOD TIMES

AND TOUGH TIMES, WE HAVE SPENT

TIME GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER,

GETTING TO UNDERSTAND EACH

OTHER, GETTING TO LISTEN TO ONE

ANOTHER.

THAT'S A RARITY NOWADAYS AND

GETTING TO TRUST ONE ANOTHER.

SO WHEN WE SEE A CHALLENGE IN

FRONT OF US LIKE THE SECURITY

ISSUE, OF COURSE WE'LL COME TO

THE TABLE.

OF COURSE WE'LL BE THERE BECAUSE

THESE ARE NOT ONLY PEOPLE THAT

WE WANT TO WORK WITH, THESE ARE

PEOPLE WE ENJOY WORKING WITH AND

DOESN'T MEAN WE ALL AGREE ON

EVERYTHING BY THE WAY.

IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE THE

SAME VIEW ABOUT WHAT IS

HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE EAST OR

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BROOKLYN.

IT JUST MEANS THAT WE'VE AGREED

THAT GETTING TOGETHER, WORKING

TOGETHER AND CREATING A SHARED

CIVIC SOCIETY WHERE WE CAN TRUST

ONE ANOTHER IS THE RADICALLY

MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO RIGHT

NOW.

>> WHEN YOU LOOK.

I GOT TWO AND A HALF, THREE

MINUTES HERE.

LET ME ASK YOU THE QUESTION.

THAT IS WE NEED TO DEVELOP

TRUST.

WE NEED TO LISTEN.

WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT JUST

BECAUSE SOMEBODY DOESN'T LOOK

LIKE ME THAT DOESN'T MAKE THEM

AN OTHER WHERE WE CAN'T

APPRECIATE THEM AND LITERALLY

AND FIGURATIVELY EMBRACE THEM,

EVER

EVAN, HOW DO WE AS THE MES

MESSENGER, HOW DO WE GET THE

MESSAGE OUT TO ALL OF OUR

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND

NON-RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES ABOUT

THE NEED FOR DOING ALL OF THIS

FOR TRUSTING AND FOR LISTENING?

HOW DO WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN?

>> I THINK IT HAS TO BE AT THE

MICRO LEVEL.

WE HAVE TREMENDOUS RELATIONSHIPS

AT THE MACRO LEVEL THAT'S HAPPY

AND PAROL LT OF THIS GROUP IS

BRINGING IT DOWN TO THE MICRO

LEVEL BRINGING IT TO THE SMALL

CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUE AND

GETTING TO THE CONGREGATION AND

PULL PET AND GETTING PEOPLE

TALKING ABOUT THIS AND IT'S

GOING TO BE AT THAT LEVEL FOR

NOW.

ONCE I ESTABLISH AND GET REALLY

ROLLING, I THINK IT WILL BE

ABOUT THE EXPECTATION OF THE

MEMBER OF THIS GROUP TO REALLY

ENSURE THE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE

THAT'S HOW IT CAN CHANGE THE

HEART AND MIND OF AN AVERAGE

INDIVIDUAL.

IT SHOWS THIS WORK CAN BE

IMPACTFUL AND MEANINGFUL.

>> I'LL MAKE THIS THE LAST

QUESTION AND NOW INDEED WE HAVE

45 SECONDS SO QUICK LAST

QUESTION.

EVAN, IF I SAY I JUST SAW THIS

PROGRAM ON "METRO FOCUS" WHERE

YOU WERE ALL INVOLVED AND I WANT

TO KNOW WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP,

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

>> REACH OUT TO ANY ONE OF US.

WE HAVE CONTACTED ENOUGH WITH

DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THESE

COMMUNITIES THAT WILL ALLOW FOR

YOU TO VOLUNTEER HIGH LEVELS AND

THE RABBI HAVE A MEETING

OPPORTUNITY, SHAPE THAT AND

VOLUNTEER WITH PASTOR GILL.

THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET

ENGAGED.

EVERY ON THIS GROUP HAS

OPPORTUNITIES AND WANTS PEOPLE

TO BE ENGAGED FROM DIFFERENT

COMMUNITIES, AS WELL.

>> WELL, I THINK WATCHING AND

LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU

CERTAINLY GIVES US HOPE.

IT GIVES US HOPE IF I CAN BORROW

FROM RABBI BOB TO UNDERSTAND TO

LISTEN AND FOR TRUSTING.

SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR

THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND

SPENDING TIME WITH US HERE AND

OUR HOPE IS WE CAN CHAT WITH YOU

AGAIN DOWN THE ROAD AND SEE SORT

OF PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING.

SO TO ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU SO

MUCH.

ALL OF YOU STAY WELL.

>> "METRO FOCUS" IS MADE

POSSIBLE BY SYLVIA PROGRAMMING

ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT

ANTI-SEMITISM, THE PETER G.

PETERSON AND BERNARD AND DENISE

SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE

ZUCKE

ZUCKERBERG.

JUDY AND JOSH WESTIN AND DR.

ROBERT C AND TINA FOUNDATION.

PATTY KENNER.