ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY JUNE 18, 1985

Transcription

1 REMARKS OF THE HONORABLE THOMAS H. KEAN GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY AT THE ANNUAL DINNER OF THE JEWISH EDUATIONAL ENTER ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY JUNE 18, 1985 THANK YOU, DAVID (MANDELBAUIYT). I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TALMUD SAYS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT PRAISE A MflT IN HIS PRESENE. YOU AN HONOR HIM, BUT YOU SHOULD NOT PRAISE HIM. I DO UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE FOR THAT; AND I WOULD NOT QUESTION IT. SO I AN NOT GOING TO PRAISE THE MAN WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING SO MANY OF US HERE TONIGHT. BUT IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HIS WORK. THAT WORK HAS BEEN IMPORTANT. AND IT HAS BEEN MEANINGFUL TO ALL OF US HERE TONIGHT.

2 2 THAT WORK STARTED NOT HERE IN AMERIA, BUT IN LATVIA, WHERE RABBI PINHAS MORDEAI TEITZ WAS BORN, AND WHERE HE WAS ORDAINED. BUT IT IS HERE, IN AMERIA -- IN ELIZABETH -- THAT HIS WORK HAS REAHED ITS FULLEST FLOWER. IT IS HERE, IN ELIZABETH, THAT RABBI TEITZ HAS TOILED, HAS STUDIED, HAS TAUGHT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAS LED FOR ALMOST FIFTY YEARS. IT WAS HERE, IN ELIZABETH -- IN NEW JERSEY -- THAT ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO, RABBI TEITZ ESTABLISHED THE JEWISH EDUATIONAL ENTER. THIS ENTER, IN A VERY REAL SENSE, HAS BEEN A PIONEER IN THE HEBREW DAY SHOOL MOVEMENT. IT WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND -- NOT ONLY IN NEW JERSEY, BUT IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. IT HAS NOT ONLY SERVED THIS OMMUNITY, AS A TOP FLIGHT SHOOL, AS A LEADER IN EDUATION, AS A ENTER FOR THE STUDY OF JEWISH HISTORY -- IT HAS SERVED ALL OTHER OMMUNITIES AS A MODEL. IT HAS HARTED THE PATH -- AND OTHERS HAVE FOLLOWED.

3 3 THE SAGES IN ETHIS OF THE FATHERS SAID, MAKE FOR YOURSELF A RABBI AND AQUIRE A FRIEND. FOR ELIZABETH, FOR THIS OMMUNITY, RABBI TEITZ HAS BEEN MORE THAN THE RABBI. HE HAS, INDEED, BEEN A FRIEND. THROUGH HIS WORK, RABBI TEITZ HAS BEEN A LIVING EXAMPLE OF WHAT THOSE WORDS FROM THE SAGES MEAN. HE HAS DEMONSTRATED A DEEP, BROAD MEANING OF THE WORD FRIEND IN ALL OF THAT WORK. HE HAS BEEN A LEADER IN WORKING TO WIN H[JNAN RIGHTS AND TO WIN THE FREEDOM TO EMIGRATE FOR SOVIET JEWS. WHAT BETTER FRIEND THAN HE WHO HELPS THOSE IN THEIR DARKEST HOURS -- THOSE MOST IN NEED? WHAT BETTER FRIEND THAN HE WHO EXTENDS A HAND WHEN IT IS NEEDED MOST. AND AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, OUR HANDS ARE SO NEEDED BY THOSE WHO LANGUISH IN THE SOVIET GULAG. ANDREI SAKHAROV ONE SAID THAT OUR ONLY PROTETION IS THE SPOTLIGHT OF PUBLI ATTENTION ON OUR FATE BY FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD.

4 4 HE USED THE WORD FRIENDS. AND HIS OMMENTS BEAR SOME REFLETION. NOT LONG AGO, I ADOPTED A SOVIET REFUSENIK. HIS NAME IS BORIS KLOTZ. PERIODIALLY, I ALL BORIS KLOTZ. I WRITE HIM. SEND HIM TELEGRAMS. WHY? AN A TELEGRAM MAKE A DIFFERENE? MANY OF MY PHONE ALLS DO NOT EVEN GET THROUGH. THOSE THAT DO, I AM SURE, ARE BUGGED BY THE KGB. BUT THEY DO MAKE A DIFFERENE. BEAUSE THEY TELL THE SOVIET AUTHORITIES. THEY TELL THEM THAT WE ARE WATHING. THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THE PLIGHT OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THAT WE ARE. RABBI TEITZ WORK BEARS THAT TRADEMARK OF ARING IN SO MANY OTHER WAYS. HE ARED ENOUGH TO HELP US WORK -- AS SO MANY OF YOU HERE TONIGHT DID -- ON ESTALBISHING THE FIRST URRIULUM ON HOLOUAST EDUATION HERE IN NEW JERSEY.

5 5 HE ARED ENOUGHT TO WORK TIRELESSLY -- TO THIS DAY -- ON THE KOSHER FOORD LEGISLATION. AND, BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, LET ME SAY A WORD ABOUT THAT. REENTLY THER HAVE BEEN ARTILES IN THE PRESS REGARDING THE ENFOREMENT OF THAT LEGISLATION. SOME HAVE RITIIZED THE ENFOREMENT PERSONNEL IN THE DIVISION OF ONSUMER AFFAIRS. RABBI TEITZ, OTHER RABBIS, FRIENDS, LET ME SAY SOMETHING VERY DIRET ABOUT THAT LEGISLATION. RIGHT HERE. RIGHT NOW. TONIGHT. I SIGNED THAT LEGISLATION OUR OF RESPET% FOR THE HOLDERS OF VERY SPEIAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD HOW IMPORTANT THOSE BELIEFS ARE TO THE PEOPLE WHO HOLD THEM; AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR ORIGINS ARE IN THE EARLY TEXT OF THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE.

6 6 LET ME TELL YOU WHY I SIGNED THAT LAW. I SIGNED THAT LAW BEAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS AN OBLIGATION OF STATE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE SUH LAWS IN PLAE. THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR FREE SOIETY -- WHIH PERMITS ALL RELIGIONS AND ALL BELIEFS TO LIVE TOGETHER AND AMONG ONE ANOTHER. AND THAT BELIEF OMES FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. IT IS THE ESSENE OF OUR DEMORAY. I SIGNED THAT LAW FOR ANOTHER REASON. I SIGNED IT BEAUSE I AM DETERMINED TO PREVENT ONSUMER FRAUD IN THIS STATE. THAT DETERMINATION HAS NOT WANED. Q I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND TO THE DIRETOR OF ONSUMER AFFAIRS ABOUT THIS -- AND I WILL NOT YIELD IN MY OMMITMENT. WE SIMPLY WILL NOT PANDER TO SPEIAL INTERESTS. IN NEW JERSEY, WHEN A FOOD IS REPRESENTED TO BE KOSHER -- IT SHOULD BE KOSHER! THE PROBLEM THAT STATE GOVERNMENT HAS IS IN KNOWING WHEN NON-KOSHER FOOD IS BEING SOLD IS KOSHER. AND THATS WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP.

7 7 IT IS DIFFIULT SOMETIMES, FROM WHERE I SIT, TO MONITOR THE WHOLE STATE IN THE WAY I WOULD LIKE TO. I M ONE GOVERNOR -- AND I DON T KNOW ABOUT A VIOLATION OR A SUSPETED VIOLATION OF THIS LAW UNTIL IT IS REPORTED. YOU AN HELP ENFORE THIS LAW. IF YOU SUSPET SOMETHING, LET ME KNOW. ALL ME. WRITE MY OFFIE. AT LEAST, GET IN TOUH WITH THE DIVISION OF ONSUMER AFFAIRS IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL S OFFIE. HERE S TIlE PHONE NUMBER: AND IF THEY DON T ANSWER YOUR ALL, YOU WRITE TO ME. WE WILL RESPOND. WE WILL HEK INTO IT. AND WE WILL ENFORE THE LAW. BY THE WAY, I HAVE IT ON VERY GOOD AUTHORITY THAT THE FOOD SERVED HERE TONIGHT IS KOSHER! PAUSE

8 8 THE HALLMARK OF RABBI TEITZ WORK, OF OURSE, IS THE WORK OF THE JEWISH EDUATIONAL ENTER ITSELF. AS I SAID, THE J.E.. HAS BEEN A LEADER, AND IT HAS ESTABLISHED THAT LEADERSHIP WITH YOUR HELP -- AND THROUGH YOUR SUPPORT. TONIGHT, I WANT TO PARTIULARLY ONGRATULATE YOUR HONOREE, MR. ALEX GOTTDIENER, FOR HIS EFFORTS NOT ONLY AS A VIE PRESIDENT OF THE ENTER S BOARD, BUT AS ONE WHO HAS ONTRIBUTED SO MUH TO THIS OMMUNITY AND TO OTHER WORTHWHILE ORGANIZATIONS. JUDAISM HAS BEEN A BEAON TO THE WORLD IN SETTING MORAL AND ETHIAL STANDARDS -- IN TEAHING AND UPHOLDING VALUES. THE EDUATION THAT THE J.E.. PROVIDES HAS STRESSED THOSE SANE VALUES. THE 800 STUDENTS WHO STUDY HERE REEIVE MORE THAN AN EDUATION. THEY LEARN TO APPREIATE ETERNAL VALUES -- NOT THE MERE PASSING FADS THAT SEEM TO TAKE OUR SOIETY SO OFTEN.

9 9 AND, AS MANt OF YOU AN TESTIFY, THEY ARRY THOSE LESSONS IN VALUES WITH THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. AS A RESULT, YOUR OMMUNITY HAS BEEN A MODEL FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, OTHER ITIES -- JEW AND GENTILE ALIKE. YOU HAVE OMBINED -- HERE AT THIS ENTER -- THINGS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ALL OMMUNITIES -- A OMMITMENT TO EDUATIONAL EXELLENE, A SENSE OF OMMUNITY, AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF MORAL AND ETHIAL STANDARDS. IN THESE, YOUR LEADERSHIP IS REOGNIZED. YOUR LEADERSHIP IS REOGNIZED MOST PARTIULARLY IN PRIVATE RELIGIOUS EDUATION. I HAVE ALOT OF ONFIDENE IN SUH EDUATION. IN ITS QUALITY. IN THE ARE WITH WHIH IT IS DELIVERED. IN FAT, I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF ONFIDENE IN THE PRIVATE SETOR. I HAVE TRIED TO BRING PULBI-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TOGETHER IN NEW JERSEY IN MANY AREAS. AND WE HAVE TRIED TO FOLLOW THE LESSONS OF PRIVATE SETOR MANAGEMENT AND EFFIIENY IN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT.

10 10 I HAVE NO DOUBT -- INDEED I HAVE GREAT ONFIDENE -- IN THE ABILITY OF THE PRIVATE SETOR TO EDUATE OUR HILDREN. BY THIS I MEAN PRIVATE SHOOLS, WHETHER RELIGIOUS OR SEULAR. THIS ENTER IS BUT ONE EXANPLE, AND A SHINING ONE, OF AN OUTSTANDING PRIVATE APPROAH TO THE INSTITUTION OF EDUATION -- OF HOW TO DELIVER THIS GREATEST OF ALL GIFTS TO OUR HILDREN. THE TALMUD SAYS THAT THE WORLD EXISTS ONLY THROUGH THE BREATH OF SHOOL HILDREN. THEY ARE OUR TOMORROW. AND IF WE ARE ABOUT THE WORLD -- IF WE ARE ABOUT THAT TOMMORROW -- WE OWE THEM THE VERY BEST EDUATION THAT WE AN GIVE. FRANKLY, I HAVE FAITH IN THE WAY THAT PRIVATE AND RELIGIOUS EDUATION IS PROVIDING THAT GIFT. BUT I AM ONERNED -- VERY DEEPLY -- ABOUT THE EDUATION THAT IS BEING DELIVERED TO THE HILDREN IN THE PUBLI SHOOLS. t S THERE MORE THAN ONE MILLION HILDREN IN NEW JERSEY PUBLI SHOOLS.

11 11 I KNOW THAT YOU WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE PRIVATE EDUATION HERE MEETS THE STANDARDS OF QUALITY THAT YOU INSIST UPON. BUT WHEN IT OMES TO PUBLI EDUATION, THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF STATE GOVERNI4ENT. THAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY, AS GOVERNOR. AND THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO RESPONSIBILITY I TAKE MORE SERIOUSLY THAN EDUATION. ONE NEWSPAPER EVEN SUGGESTED THAT I MIGHT BE ALLED NEW JERSEY S EDUATION GOVERNOR. I PRAY THAT IT BE SO. I AN THINK OF NO EPITAPH THAT WOULD BE A GREATER HONOR. AT A TIME OF OMPETING PRIORITIES, WE HAVE MADE EDUATION A PRIORITY. AT A TIME WHEN OUR BUDGET WAS TIGHT, DURING THE REESSION, WE INREASED THE BUDGET FOR EDUATION. AT A TIME WHEN NEW JERSEY IS ALLED UPON TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE, WE ARE FOUSING ON OUR SHOOLS. FOR THAT IS WHERE THE FUTURE LIES.

12 12 THAT FUTURE IS GOING TO BE OMPETITIVE. AT TIMES -- LIKE THE STRUGGLES IN OUR OWN GENERATION -- DIFFIULT. AND WE MUST PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION FOR THOSE TIMES. WE MUST PREPARE THEM TO BE EQUAL TO THE TASK. HOW AN WE DO THAT? WE AN RA I SE STANDARDS - - AND WE HAVE DONE THAT. RAISING STANDARDS MEANS RAISING THE EXPETATIONS WE HAVE OF OUR HILDREN. IT MEANS, BY DEFINITION, HOLDING THEM UP TO A HI GHER STANDARD. THAT AN BE DIFFIULT. BEAUSE RAISING STANDARDS BRINGS WITH IT THE RISK OF FAILURE. BUT THAT IS WHAT STANDARDS THEMSELVES ARE ALL ABOUT. AND IF WE WANT THEM TO HAVE MEANING, THEN WE MUST BE PREPARED TO FAE FAILURE. AND WE MUST BE PREPARED TO WORK TO OVEROME IT. WE VE PURSUED ANOTHER DIFFIULT OURSE. WE VE TRIED TO BRING DISIPLINE BAK INTO THE LASSROOM. WHEN DISIPLINE BREAKS DOWN, THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT IN WHIH LEARNING AN TAKE PLAE IS DESTROYED.

13 13 WHEN ONE STUDENT IS DISRUPTIVE, ALL STUDENTS SUFFER. SO WE ARE STRESSING DISIPLINE IN OUR SHOOLS. AND WE HAVE INSTITUTED A NEW PROGRAM TO TAKE DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS OUT OF THE LASSROOM AND PLAE THEM IN ALTERNATIVE SETTINGS. FINALLY, THERE IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO IMPROVE EDUATION. ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE FINE TEAHING AT THE JEWISH EDUATIONAL ENTER KNOW WHAT IT IS. THAT MOST IMPORTANT WAY IS THROUGH THE TEAHERS THEMSELVES. YOU SEE, THE TALMUD ALSO SAYS THAT WE MAY NOT SUSPEND THE INSTRUTION OF THE HILDREN EVEN FOR THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE HIGH PLAE THAT TEAHING SHOULD OUPY IN OUR SOIETY. BUT IN REENT YEARS, TEAHING HAS NOT HELD THAT HIGH PLAE.

14 14 TEAHERS HAVE NOT ENJOYED THE RESPET IN THE OMMUNITY THAT THEY DESERVE. THE PROFESSION OF TEAHING HAS NOT BEEN REVERED. I BELIEVE WE NEED TO RESTORE THE POSITION OF THE TEAHER IN OUR OMMUNITIES TO ONE OF THE HIGHEST RESPET. AND I BELIEVE THAT WE MUST ATTRAT THOSE WHO OMMAND RESPET TO THE TEAHING PROFESSION. AND I!VE WORKED TO DO THIS AS WELL -- BY OPENING UP THE TEAHING PROFESSION TO TALENT FROM ALL FIELDS; BY REWARDING THE VERY BEST TEAHERS; BY TRAINING TEAHERS BETTER; AND BY HOLDING TEAHERS - - AS WELL AS STUDENTS -- UP TO HIGHER STANDARDS. THAT IS THE WAY TO RESTORE OUR SHOOLS. TO GIVE OUR TEAHERS THE STATURE THAT THEY DESERVE. AND TO GIVE OUR STUDENTS THE QUALITY THAT THEY DESERVE. I TAKE THAT MANDATE -- THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO THOSE ONE MILLION HILDREN -- VERY SERIOUSLY. AND I WILL ONTINUE TO PURSUE IT FOR AS LONG AS I AN GOVERNOR.

15 15 FOR ALMOST FIFTY YEARS, THE JEWISH EDUATIONAL ENTER HAS BEEN A MODEL IN EDUATION. IT S LEGAY HAS NOW BEEN PASSED ON TO NEW GENERATIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE NEW JERSEY A MODEL IN EDUATION. THAT IS THE LEGAY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PASS ON TO GENERATIONS TO FOLLOW. RABBI TEITZ, FRIENDS, YOU HAVE HONORED ME BY ASKING ME TO JOIN YOU TONIGHT. AND YOU HAVE HONORED THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR PRESENE. TONIGHT, I WANT TO ONGRATULATE YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THESE PAST FOUR AND ONE-HALF DEADES. I AN ONFIDENT THAT YOUR SERVIE, YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND INDEED YOUR LEGAY WILL LIVE ON IN THE DEADES TO OME. THANK YOU.