Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) spoke at the opening of the new Florida Holocaust Memorial.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon. My name is Dave Kerner. I have the honor of serving as the
00:03executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
00:09Never again. Two simple words that, when said together, evoke so many emotions
00:15for so many people.
00:17Never again reminds us of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
00:22Never again reminds us that a society endeavored to exterminate an entire race
00:28and religion.
00:30Never again is so much more than just a phrase. It is not a declaration, nor is
00:35it a promise.
00:38If it is to be enduring, then it must be more than the simple sum of its parts.
00:43Never again is both a bridge to our past and a vision into our future, a future
00:49which almost never came.
00:52Never again is ultimately a way of life for the Jewish people.
00:57Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so honored and humbled to be in your presence, to be in
01:02the company of a Holocaust survivor, to share the stage with a governor whose
01:07actions embody the manifestation of never again and to be graced by the sun,
01:12which shines upon the great state of Florida, where people of all faiths and
01:17followings can live their live their lives, knowing that our freedom to
01:21practice our faith
01:23is endowed by God and protected by both his government and his fellow citizens.
01:30I remember my wedding just last year in October of last year on the Bema of
01:36Temple Beth El. One of the happiest moments of my life was when I stomped
01:40on that glass and the guests erupted in Mazal Tov and I became a husband.
01:47The glass for those of you unfamiliar with this peculiar Jewish tradition is
01:50placed on the floor in front of the groom. However, before it is smashed,
01:55it's it's traditional at most Jewish weddings for the rabbi to sing a Hebrew
02:00song called Em Eshkach Ef Yerushalayim, or in English, if you forget Jerusalem,
02:09this commemorates the falling of Jerusalem and the destruction of the two
02:13Jewish temples that once stood there.
02:16It is said that whenever Jewish people experience immense joy, they should also
02:22remember the less joyous times in their ancestry.
02:26With celebration comes commemoration.
02:30So once the less beautiful times have been remembered, the time comes for the
02:34groom to break the glass. Why is this done? There are many reasons that
02:39Jewish grooms break a glass at the end of their ceremony, sealing their
02:43marriage to their bride.
02:45The first being in keeping with a song that had just been sung to
02:50commemorate the destruction faced by Jewish people over the past 2000 years,
02:55a nod to the suffering that had come before.
03:00After all, if we can remember the dark times, even on the brightest of days,
03:06will never allow them to be forgotten. And through this process, we bring
03:12meaning to never again. I had the unique honor in 2016 to co sponsor and vote on
03:18the legislation that created the Florida Holocaust Memorial.
03:23The text of Senate Bill 7 16 is both short and powerful.
03:28It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize and commemorate the millions
03:33of people, including six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their
03:38collaborators before and during World War two in Europe and, most importantly,
03:44to honor the survivors of the Holocaust through the establishment of the
03:48Florida Holocaust Memorial.
03:52It is not the memorial itself that honors the survivors of the Holocaust,
03:56but rather the emotion that the memorial evokes when we are in its
04:00presence.
04:02We honor our beloved and cherished survivors by remembering the past. We
04:07remember the past so that we secure our future, and in doing so we give life to
04:13the intent of never again.
04:16Today, of course, is a joyous occasion. And so I, of course, am compelled to
04:21remember our past by reading a short excerpt from a high ranking Nazi official
04:26in the final throes of the Holocaust, contemplating the Jewish question. That
04:32is the question that he was contemplating whether murdering only
04:36Jewish men was sufficient, or should women and Children be included as well?
04:42Quote, We were faced with the question. What about the women and Children? I
04:48decided to find a clear solution to this problem, too. I did not consider
04:52myself justified to exterminate just the men, in other words, to kill them or
04:57to have them be killed and allow the Avengers of our sons and grandsons in
05:01the form of their grandchildren to grow up. The difficult decision had to be
05:06made to have these people disappear from the earth.
05:10The Jewish question in the countries that we occupy will be solved by the
05:14end of the year. Only remainders of our Jews that managed to find hiding places
05:19will be left over.
05:21People may wonder
05:24this is me speaking now.
05:26People may wonder why Florida looks so differently than so many states
05:30following October 7th. Why were our campuses free from chaos? Why were our
05:35Jewish day schools and synagogues flanked by state troopers? Why did
05:39governor? Why did the governor order state troopers onto our college campuses?
05:44Why did our legislature enshrine this law in this memorial?
05:50Because never again is so much more than just a phrase. It's not a
05:54declaration, nor is it a promise. If it is to be enduring,
05:59then it must be more than the simple sum of its parts.
06:04Never again is both a bridge to our past and a vision into our future, a
06:08future which almost never came.
06:11Never again is a way of life.
06:14Mr Schachter and Consul General Elba Starlinsky, I hope that as the shadows
06:20of the past attempt to block the blanket of freedom and safety that the
06:24Florida sunlight represents that you find comfort in this moment
06:30and on this occasion that in Florida we recognize that our future and safety and
06:35security is not promised, but that we work with the intent to secure our
06:40future and that of the Jewish people and that in the great state of Florida
06:46never again is more than a phrase. It is a way of life.
06:50It is my honor now to call to the stage Senator Tina Polsky for comments.
06:55Senator.
07:04Good afternoon.
07:06The unveiling of today's Holocaust Memorial represents the culmination of
07:11almost a decade of work. I would like to thank the original sponsors of the
07:142016 bill for making this a reality. Senator Sobel and former
07:19representative, now Congressman Jared Moskowitz and President Don Gates for
07:23his support. I would also like to thank the efforts of the many supporters and
07:28workers of the program, including the Holocaust Documentation and Education
07:32Center, the Florida Department of Management Services and the Division of
07:36Historical Resources. Today we gather in remembrance of the millions of lives
07:41lost during one of history's darkest times. The Holocaust was not just an
07:47atrocity of death and destruction. It was a systematic erasure of humanity,
07:52dignity and hope. As we stand here in front of this memorial, we honor the
07:58memories of those who were taken from us. May this memorial serve not only as
08:03a testament to the suffering endured, but as a reminder to all of us of the
08:08importance of vigilance in ensuring that such horrors are never repeated.
08:13Let us pledge to never forget and to always fight against hate, prejudice
08:18and intolerance in all forms for all people. My Judaism impacts everything
08:23that I do as an elected official, as a sister, a daughter, a friend, a wife and
08:29a mother. From it, I gather my commitment to justice, truth and to
08:34the Jewish tradition to repair the world. I know that this memorial serves as a
08:40testimony to those values and will inspire empathy, community, respect and
08:46courage for generations to come. I thank all of you for coming to be with us
08:51today and for your commitment to honor and support our community. Thank you.
09:00It is my distinct honor to recognize the former wonderful Senator Eleanor
09:05Sobel.
09:27Yeah.
09:36Okay.
09:46Good afternoon. Good afternoon.
09:51What a glorious day.
09:54Did did you know that Florida is one of two capitals? The other capital is Ohio
10:02that has a Holocaust monument at its capital. Thank you, Senator Polsky, for
10:10your warm introduction of me. You are a brilliant, compassionate senator. At
10:17that time, Congressman Jared Moskowitz was my house sponsor. Thank you,
10:23Governor Ron DeSantis,
10:27Senator President Ben Allbritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez for your
10:33support.
10:35Then, Senate President Don Gates, a titan, a titan of a mensch.
10:44Now, I wrote the speech and it turned into bench. I said, You're no bench.
10:51You're a mensch,
10:54a little bit of Yiddish
10:57who actually budgeted for this monument 10 years ago. And I am grateful for
11:04today that I am here in my lifetime. Also, how did I
11:14thank you to Steve Ufelder? May he rest in peace for bringing this idea to me
11:21and I jumped on it. And thank you to Representative Mike Gottlieb, who
11:27orchestrated today and Israel week Rep Gottlieb.
11:33Right.
11:36Rep Gottlieb is also the chair of the bipartisan Jewish Legislative Caucus.
11:43Thank you to all its membership members for working together.
11:48And thank you to the Bulldog. You all know who the Bulldog is. Senator Randy
11:54Fine, who fights for Israel and against anti semitism every day.
12:03So so this is a bipartisan effort. Thank you to Executive Director Scott
12:09Ehrlich from the Posnick JCC for bringing all the people here today who
12:16posted pictures and Executive Director Rosita Konigsberg from the Holocaust
12:22Center, who also contributed many photographs of Florida families who
12:28were victims of the tragic Holocaust. Thank you to the Israeli Consul General
12:34Mayor Elvaz Starinsky.
12:41Holocaust deniers take note. Holocaust deniers take note of these Florida
12:49authentic family photos of those who escaped crematoriums and suffered
12:55throughout the war. I too had relatives that perished in the Holocaust in
13:00Czechoslovakia, a cousin who was a dentist to ambassadors who thought he
13:07would. He would. He would be protected. He was wrong. He was murdered. We
13:13should never forget the Holocaust, a tragic act of hate, prejudice and
13:19inhumanity. With the exponential rise in anti semitism, we must continue and
13:26continue our vigilance. Thank you to all for your perseverance as well. I am
13:34grateful and humbled for today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
13:46And there's only one safe spot for this right here.
13:54Okay,
13:55thank you.
13:56Yeah.
14:00Yeah.
14:02Oh,
14:11thank you.
14:14I had it.
14:20All right.
14:26Thank you, Senator. So well, true honor to be here with you today and to hear
14:31your words. It is now my great honor to invite to the stage the governor of the
14:35great state of Florida, Ron DeSantis.
14:44Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you so much.
14:48We pride ourselves on saying never again, but there are times when that
14:53resolve is tested. And October 7th 2023 represented one of those times. That
15:00day was the largest slaughter of Jewish men, women and Children since the
15:05Holocaust itself. And make no mistake, Hamas, if they had the capability, they
15:12would commence a second Holocaust. That is their goal. And even in the
15:17aftermath of that barbarity, people like me were saying that, you know, you're
15:22gonna start to see rationalizations. You're gonna start to see all these
15:25excuses as to why somehow Hamas was not fully responsible. And in Florida, we
15:32never succumbed to that. We knew that the problem is Hamas terrorists, and the
15:39solution is to eliminate Hamas terrorists.
15:42Mhm.
15:47So we've stood proudly with the state of Israel through these very trying
15:51times. Uh, days after October 7th, I issued an executive order authorizing
15:58the state of Florida to carry out logistical rescue and evacuation
16:03operations for Americans and provide necessary law enforcement support for
16:09Jewish communities in Florida. At the time, the U. S. Administration was not
16:15being responsive to people that were just trying to leave what became a war
16:20zone. Our administration evacuated almost 700 Americans back to Florida
16:27over a series of four flights from Israel to Florida, and we were happy to
16:30do that.
16:31Mhm.
16:36We also work with the Legislature during a special legislative session
16:40and took executive action to ensure the protection of Florida's Jewish
16:44community, including directing the Department of Highway Patrol to protect
16:49Jewish day schools and synagogues throughout the state, directing the
16:53state university and college system to ease transfer requirements for any out
16:59of state Jewish students who were facing discrimination in light of
17:03October 7th and providing new funding to protect Jewish institutions and
17:08houses of worship. And Commissioner Kerner mentioned you didn't see any
17:14Columbia universities happen in the state of Florida.
17:23And when people ask me, why did it not happen in Florida? The answer is very
17:27simple, because if any university president allowed that to happen in
17:31Florida, they would be out of a job the next day. No questions asked.
17:39And while you have a right to say and believe things that are distasteful and
17:44even hateful, we will hold you accountable for your conduct. And if
17:49you are out violating the rights of other people, if you're issuing threats,
17:54if you're trying to intimidate Jewish students, faculty or anybody for any
17:59reason, we will kick you out of campus. We will withhold your diploma. We have
18:04done that, and we have held these people accountable. The inmates do not
18:09run the asylum in Florida's universities.
18:17We were proud to sign the budget in June of last year to provide, amongst
18:22other things, $20 million in funding to bolster security at Florida's Jewish
18:28Day schools and Jewish preschools. We did $5 million in funding for the
18:33Museum of Hope and Humanity in downtown Orlando, which will serve to honor
18:38those we lost in the Holocaust. $3.5 million in funding for the Jewish Day
18:43School Student Transportation Safety Initiative, which assists Jewish
18:47students in South Florida by providing transportation to and from school while
18:52ensuring safety and security of the students, and over $7 million to various
18:58Holocaust memorial and education centers around the state. And since I've
19:03been governor, we have bolstered Holocaust education in our K through 12
19:08schools. And again, you have a right for free speech, but a teacher that is in
19:13front of students trying to minimize the Holocaust, they get a pink slip and
19:18they're no longer going to be teaching our students.
19:25And we've really led the fight on so many efforts. We were the leading state
19:29to combat BDS. We've led the fight to make sure our universities were safe
19:35for all students. We have bolstered Holocaust education, and we've
19:39developed incredible ties between the state of Florida and the state of
19:44Israel. We are the number one place that Israeli Americans are currently
19:48moving to of all 50 states, and that was not true just a short time ago. So the
19:54fact that Florida is one of two states to have a Holocaust memorial is very
20:00fitting, given our support for the Jewish people, both our citizens here
20:05first and foremost, but also our great relationship with the state of Israel.
20:09And as part of our continued support for the Jewish people, as well as the
20:14remembrance of those lost during the Holocaust, I'm honored to be here today
20:18to unveil this Florida Holocaust memorial in our state's Memorial Park.
20:24This memorial, constructed of iron and limestone, displays faces and names of
20:30Holocaust survivors who later made their homes in the state of Florida. The
20:35state was proud to work with Florida-based Jewish groups and
20:38Holocaust Remembrance Associations to gather survivors' names and pictures so
20:44that visitors to Florida's capital can remember the impact these amazing
20:48individuals had on our communities for generations to come. In Florida, we are
20:53committed to upholding the truth and the words, Never Forget. And we will
20:59continue to sponsor causes and find ways to ensure our next generation is
21:03able to learn about the horrible ordeal that these survivors had to face. This
21:09memorial is the first edition in Memorial Park, and we will have additional
21:14memorials in the not-too-distant future. Now, we're also honored to be joined here
21:19today for our unveiling by a Holocaust survivor, David Schechter, who has
21:25dedicated his life to traveling our state and educating Floridians about the
21:37horrors of the Holocaust from his firsthand account. David was born in
21:42Czechoslovakia in 1929 in a small town on the border of Hungary. In April of
21:471940, at just 11 years old, he, his mother, and his three siblings were taken by
21:54cattle car to Auschwitz, where he was forcibly separated from his mother and
21:59sisters and never saw them again. After some time, David and his brother were
22:06both transferred. They faced the brutality of those concentration camps
22:11for over three years until his brother was murdered. But David remained in camp
22:17until he escaped as the Allied armies advanced. He eventually made his way to
22:22America in 1950, where he registered to attend college. He settled in Miami in
22:271956 and started his own company. He's now called Miami home for almost 70
22:34years and has made a profound impact on our South Florida community. I'm honored
22:40today to award David the Governor's Medal of Freedom for his decades of work
22:46sharing his experience with Floridians and dedicating his life to ensuring the
22:50lessons of the Holocaust are taught to future generations never again. At a
22:56time when anti semitism is rearing its ugly head across college campuses in the
23:01United States, it's more important than ever for stories like David's to be
23:05shared and preserved for future generations so that they truly never
23:10forget what can happen when hateful ideology is left unchecked. I pray that
23:15David continues to live a long and blessed life and that people may
23:19continue to learn from his story for years and generations to come. Now, I'm
23:23gonna go down and present the medal for David. Then I think we're gonna have an
23:28unveiling of the memorial. So do we have the metal with us?
23:33Okay.
23:38All right.
23:50Yeah.
23:57Thank you, David.
24:19All right.
24:36Oh, my God Almighty.
24:39My God Almighty.
24:43Governor, you're a blessing.
24:47But Governor,
24:49your whole
24:51state is a blessing.
24:56Florida
25:00became my
25:02addiction.
25:06I've been here since 1957.
25:11Governor, there's nothing like this state,
25:16and there is nothing like you.
25:20You, Governor,
25:23and the people that work with you.
25:27You have never lost your humility. You have never lost the decency,
25:36God Almighty,
25:39decency that I had been
25:44denied in the decency of six million people and the decency in the world.
25:56And you have maintained this unbelievable, beyond words, beautiful
26:08state with all the goodness of God and the decency available.
26:19God bless you, Rob.
26:22Thank you so much.
26:25Inspirational to hear you and see you and all you've done. So this is well
26:29deserved. You got a lot more in the tank, too. So all right, Governor,
26:34this is well deserved. You got a lot more in the tank, too. So right here,
26:38we're gonna go. Are we gonna pull it over here? So let's help us pull this
26:42down. We're gonna unveil it.
26:45Big step there.
26:47This side or the other side?
26:49Okay.
26:53We're gonna go over here.
26:56Okay.
27:01Are we just pulling on this side?
27:05Okay.
27:08David, get in here. You guys grab, grab some.
27:11Yeah, yeah. Come on. How are you? All right, we're gonna do that. David, you
27:15gotta
27:19grab a piece of this and help us pull
27:23right here.
27:29We got enough.
27:31Ready?
27:32All right, we're gonna pull on three. Ready? 123 pull.
27:42There we go.