PRESENTED BY IRA A. LIPMAN CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT GUARDSMARK, INC.

NEW YORK MARRIOTT EAST SIDE HOTEL NEW YORK, NEW YORK

APRIL 27, 1992

THANK YOU. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT HONOR TO SERVE AS YOUR NATIONAL CHAIRMAN THESE LAST FOUR YEARS AND AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD THESE LAST ELEVEN YEARS. THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT ONE-QUARTER OF MY ADULT LIFE, AND I KNOW IT WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE INVESTMENT I COULD HAVE MADE. BUT MY RELATIONSHIP TO THE CONFERENCE GOES BACK EVEN FURTHER, TO WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER IN LITTLE ROCK IN 1957. IT WAS THERE THAT I BEGAN TO DEVELOP A LIFE-LONG INTEREST IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RELATIONS, WHEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAD TO CALL OUT TROOPS TO PROTECT LITTLE CHILDREN FROM OUR FELLOW CITIZENS. AS THE B’NAI B’RITH YOUTH ORGANIZATION’S HUMAN RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE FOR TEENAGE MEN IN THE SOUTH, I TRIED TO GET THE BEST MATERIALS I COULD FIND ON HUMAN RELATIONS. I CALLED THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE AND NCCJ, SO MY ASSOCIATION WITH THE CONFERENCE REALLY BEGAN 36 YEARS AGO.

I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AT THE TIME, AND BECAUSE I TOOK AN ACTIVE AND VISIBLE ROLE IN SUPPORT OF INTEGRATING THE SCHOOLS- ORGANIZING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WRITING ARTICLES, AND APPEARING ON NETWORK TELEVISION-I LEARNED AT AN EARLY AGE JUST HOW HATEFUL AND DESTRUCTIVE PEOPLE CAN BE WHEN THEY ARE TRAPPED BY PREJUDICE, IGNORANCE, AND FEAR. THE THREATS ON MY LIFE ONLY SERVED TO HARDEN MY CONVICTION THAT BIGOTRY MUST BE OPPOSED AS SOON AS IT APPEARS AND WHATEVER GUISE IT ADOPTS.

THAT PATH I BEGAN TO WALK IN LITTLE ROCK HAS LED ME HERE TODAY. IT’S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY, AND IT’S NOT OVER YET. I NOW HOPE TO BE A FACTOR IN MAKING SURE THAT OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE AN ORGANIZATION LIKE NCCJ.

I HAVE TO ADMIT TO YOU THAT AS MY TERM COMES TO AN END, IT LEAVES ME WITH MIXED FEELINGS.

I AM TREMENDOUSLY PROUD OF WHAT WE MANAGED TO ACCOMPLISH. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OUR ORGANIZATION HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB IN COMMUNITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WE CAN TAKE GREAT SATISFACTION IN THAT.

AT THE SAME TIME, I AM SADDENED AT WHAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DO.

ALTHOUGH WE NOW HAVE 63 REGIONS, WE STILL DON’T HAVE AN ORGANIZATION IN BOISE, OR DALLAS, OR PITTSBURGH. WE NEED TO OPEN OFFICES IN THOSE CITIES AND IN ALL THE OTHER SMA’S AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE WE DON’T YET HAVE A PRESENCE.

WE HAVEN’T BEEN AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH IN BUILDING THE NATIONAL NETWORK, AND-FOR WHATEVER REASON-SOME OF OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS AND REGIONAL BOARDS HAVEN’T DEVELOPED THEIR OUTLYING REGIONS.

SO THERE IS MUCH UNFINISHED BUSINESS. AND I’M NOT SURE THAT TIME IS ON OUR SIDE. WE HAVE MORE PROBLEMS WITH BIGOTRY AND RACIAL HATRED NOW THAN WHEN I BEGAN MY CAREER AS AN EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER ELEVEN YEARS AGO.

WATCH TV IN LOS ANGELES, LISTEN TO THE RADIO IN DETROIT, OR PICK UP A NEWSPAPER IN SALT LAKE CITY, AND YOU SEE THE SAME PROBLEMS WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD, BUT MAGNIFIED.

THE CLOUDS OF HATRED, PREJUDICE, INTOLERANCE, AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING GROW MORE THREATENING EVERY DAY AS THEY CAST THEIR UGLY SHADOWS OVER OUR CITIES, SUBURBS, AND COUNTRYSIDE. BOTH HATE GROUPS AND HATE CRIMES ARE INCREASING IN NUMBER.

ONCE AGAIN JEWISH PEOPLE SEE AN AGE-OLD PATTERN DEVELOPING AND IN THEIR MIND’S EYE SEE THE SACRED TORAH ENGULFED IN FLAMES. BLACKS HEAR THE RAVINGS OF DAVID DUKE AND KNOW THEIR STRUGGLE IS FAR FROM OVER. ASIAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN CANNOT EVEN WATCH CARTOON SHOWS WITHOUT SEEING XENOPHOBIC, JAPAN-BASHING COMMERCIALS.

OVERSEAS, THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION HAS UNLEASHED OLD HATREDS ONCE HELD IN CHECK BY SHEER FORCE. THEY’VE NOW FOUND NEW LIFE AND RENEWED ENERGY. TENSIONS ARE RISING BETWEEN NATIONS AND PEOPLES AS GRUDGES THAT HAVE SIMMERED FOR DECADES BEGIN TO BOIL OVER.

DIFFERENCES IN RELIGION, LANGUAGE, CUSTOM, AND HISTORY ARE OVERWHELMING THE TIES OF COMMON HUMANITY EVERYWHERE WE LOOK.

WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY EXPLAIN TO ALL OF GOD’S CHILDREN THAT WE ARE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN? THAT THE COLOR OF SKIN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE QUALITY OF MIND-THAT THE METHOD OF PRAYER CANNOT GUARANTEE SUPERIORITY OF SPIRIT. TO DENY THE GREATNESS OF GOD’S DIVERSITY IS TO DENY THE DEITY WHO MADE IT AND SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD. TO CREATE DIFFERENCES WHERE THERE ARE NONE-TO PROMOTE DISCORD OVER HARMONY-AND TO DIVIDE WHAT IS MEANT TO BE UNIFIED, INEVITABLY DISTORTS OUR SENSE OF DIVINITY AND HELPS DESTROY OUR HOPE FOR HUMANITY. WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THE COLOR OF SKIN? OR WHAT PRAYERS OTHER PEOPLE CHOOSE TO SAY? OR IF THEY BOW TO THE EAST OR WEAR A SKULLCAP? OR IF THEY STAND OR KNEEL? THE PASSIONS LOOSE IN TODAY’S WORLD MEAN AN EVER INCREASING ROLE FOR THE CONFERENCE. THE WORLD NEEDS US. IT NEEDS TO HEAR THE MESSAGE WE BRING.

SO, WHATEVER THE OBSTACLES-NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT THEY ARE- WE MUST PERSEVERE. IN DOING THAT, WE KEEP OUR PROMISE TO THIS GENERATION AND TO THOSE THAT FOLLOW. AND WE KEEP ALIVE THE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY.

IF WE PERSEVERE, WE WILL WIN. AND OUR REFUSAL TO YIELD TO THE FORCES THAT THRIVE ON WEAKNESS, IGNORANCE, AND CONFUSION WILL ITSELF BE A ‘VICTORY. AS LONG AS WE BELIEVE THAT GOOD IS STRONGER THAN EVIL, WE MUST CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE. WE MUST KEEP OUR FOCUS, PROMOTE CLARITY OVER CONFUSION, TRUTH OVER ERROR, AND ENLIGHTENMENT OVER IGNORANCE.

NCCJ REPRESENTS DIVERSITY IN THE GREATEST FORM OF DEMOCRACY YET DEVISED. WE ARE THE COMING TOGETHER OF FAITHS, RACES, AND CULTURES. WE ARE NOT THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMIT1EE, OR THE CATHOLIC KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, OR THE BAPTIST BROTHERHOOD. WE GO BEYOND DIFFERENCES TO EMPHASIZE WHAT IS COMMON TO ALL.

THAT IS WHY THE CONFERENCE WAS FOUNDED BY GREAT AMERICANS LIKE THEODORE ROOSEVELT, JR., CHARLES EVANS HUGHES, AND ROGER STRAUSS.

AND YET, I OFTEN ASK MYSELF WHERE THE CONFERENCE WAS IN 1943, 15 OR 16 YEARS AFTER ITS FOUNDING, WHEN SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS’ FAMILIES PERISHED DURING THE HOLOCAUST. DID THE CONFERENCE EXIST? WHAT ISSUES WERE SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY ABSORBED ALL ITS ENERGIES? HOW COULD IT HAVE MISSED THE MOST HORRIFIC EVENT IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF HATRED?

SIX MILLION PEOPLE WERE KILLED BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED IN A PARTICULAR RELIGION. POETS AND PHILOSOPHERS, DOCTORS AND LAWYERS, SCHOLARS AND STUDENTS-FATHERS AND SONS, MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS, THE ELDERLY TOO SICK TO EVEN WALK AND BABIES TOO YOUNG TO EVEN KNOW THEY WERE JEWISH.

THE MEMORY OF THE HOLOCAUST WILL HAUNT ALL OF US ALWAYS, BECAUSE WE NOW MUST LIVE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT MANKIND IS CAPABLE OF DOING. BUT I CAN’T HELP THINKING THAT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN PUNISHED IN OTHER WAYS.

SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE NOBEL PRIZE, ROUGHLY ONE-FOURTH OF ALL THE PRIZES HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO JEWS. IS IT FANCIFUL TO THINK THAT THE CURE FOR CANCER ALSO DIED IN AUSCHWITZ, DACHAU, THERFSIENSTADT, OR BERGEN-BELSEN? THE DEATH OF SIX MILLION PREVENTED THE BIRTH OF HOW MANY MORE? AND AMONG ALL THE MILLIONS WHO DIED AND THE TENS OF MILLIONS WHO WERE NEVER BORN, WAS THERE A BRILLIANT RESEARCHER WHO WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED WHAT WE HAVE STILL FAILED TO FIND?

THE SUFFERING CAUSED BY HATRED AND BIGOTRY IS RESTRICTED NEITHER BY SPACE NOR BY TIME. THE PAIN IS NOT LOCAL, AND THE LOSS IS NOT LIMITED.

WHEN ANY ONE OF US IS ABUSED, WE ARE ALL ABUSED. WHEN ANY ONE OF US IS DEPRIVED OF OUR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES, WE ALL SUFFER IN WAYS THAT WE CANNOT EVEN MEASURE.

IT IS DISMAYING THAT WE CANNOT COMPLETELY REPLACE HATRED WITH LOVE.

IT IS SADDENING THAT WE CANNOT TOTALLY ERADICATE IGNORANCE.

AND IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE CANNOT MAKE EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE COME TO APPRECIATE THE GLORY OF GOD’S DIVERSITY.

WE CAN ONLY TRY.

THAT IS WHAT I’VE DONE, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. THAT I COULD NOT DO MORE IS MY ONLY REGRET.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ABOVE ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, FOR THEIR APPRECIATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONFERENCE. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THEIR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING. IT WAS A TREMENDOUS HELP TO KNOW THAT WHEREVER I WAS-IN AUSTIN, MIAMI, OR CLEVELAND-LITTLE ROCK, BIRMINGHAM, OR PHOENIX- PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, OR NEW JERSEY-LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, OR HEPPENHELM, GERMANY-I HAD THEIR FULL BACKING AND ENCOURAGEMENT.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY ASSOCIATES AT GUARDSMARK. I KNOW THAT OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS MANY OF THEM MUST HAVE FELT AS IF THE COMPANY NO LONGER HAD MY FULL ATTENTION. I ASSURE THEM THAT THE LATE NIGHTS, THE INTERRUPTED MEETINGS, THE CROWDED SCHEDULES, THE LONG-DISTANCE CONVERSATIONS, AND ALL THE EXPENSES WERE WORTH EVERY MINUTE, EVERY INCONVENIENCE, AND EVERY PENNY.

IN MY WORK I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE THREE OF OUR PRESIDENTS AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH ONE OF THEM.

FIRST, DAVID HYATT. HE DID ME THE HONOR, FOR WHICH I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL, OF BELIEVING IN ME. IT WAS THROUGH DAVID THAT I BECAME A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THEN THE EXECUTIVE BOARD.

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT JACQUELINE? WE WORKED TOGETHER CLOSELY FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND SHE IS AN INSPIRATION THAT I’LL NEVER FORGET. I’VE OFTEN COMPARED HER TO DIZZY DEAN, LEE IACOCCA, AND MOTHER TERESA ALL ROLLED INTO ONE.

JACQUELINE SAVED THIS CONFERENCE FINANCIALLY AND LEFT US WITH A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE. SHE ATTACKED OUR PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME TENACITY AND BRILLIANCE THAT SHE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON EVERY ISSUE SHE DEALT WITH, AND HER LEGACY WILL ENRICH THE CONFERENCE-AND THROUGH THE CONFERENCE, THE NATION-FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. WHAT A GREAT CHIEF PROFESSIONAL OFFICER SHE WAS!

AND NOW WE HAVE ANOTHER PRESIDENT WHO WILL ENTER OUR HISTORY BOOKS AS ONE OF THE GREATEST. AS CHAIRMAN OF THE SEARCH COM:MU-ME, I WAS MAINLY CONCERNED WITH FINDING SOMEONE CAPABLE OF LEADING US INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. I AM VERY PROUD THAT GILLIAN WAS CHOSEN.

FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS AND TRUSTEES I HAD THE HONOR TO KNOW AND WORK WITH. YOU ARE ALL HEROES, AND THIS NATION IS IN YOUR DEBT FOR THE TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE YOU MAKE OF YOUR TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT. AND WITH SCRUPULOUS ATTENTION TO OUR PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WE HAVE TOGETHER ENSURED THE FISCAL INTEGRITY OF THE CONFERENCE.

NOW IT’S TIME FOR ME TO STEP DOWN AND LET ANOTHER TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE.

I DO SO WITH A DEEP SENSE OF PRIDE WHERE WE WERE SUCCESSFUL, BUT WITH A REAL SENSE OF A MISSION ULTIMATELY NOT ACCOMPLISHED- HOWEVER UNREALISTIC IT MAY BE TO THINK THAT OUR MISSION CAN EVER BE FULLY ACCOMPLISHED.

BUT I’VE STOOD MY WATCH, AND I HOPE THE WORLD IS A LITTLE BETTER OFF FOR MY EFFORTS.

LOOKING BACK, I CAN THINK OF NOTHING ELSE I WOULD RATHER HAVE DONE THESE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. I LOVE THIS ORGANIZATION, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL ALWAYS BE A STEADFAST FRIEND AND A WILLING CONTRIBUTOR.

THANK YOU FOR THE CONFIDENCE YOU PLACED IN ME.

MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU AND THE NOBLE CAUSE YOU REPRESENT.