Israeli Day Parade, 11 AM – 4:00PM, today, 57th Street – 74th Street 5th Ave

0:00 Speaker 1 When is today’s Holly Lippmann a good friend of mine for many, many years, and I understand he just came back from Poland looking for some mass graves that may exist. And also he is the Grand Marshall of the Israeli de Parade to take place today Sunday, June fourth. Holly, welcome back from Poland.

0:22 Speaker 2 Well, thank you very much. It was quite exciting. You know, I’m focusing on an overlooked aspect of the Holocaust, and that is when everybody thinks of the Holocaust, they tend to think of Auschwitz and the extermination camps. But they were only operational in March of nineteen forty two. Why is that important? Because the Germans were in Poland for

0:43 two and a half years before that. So the question is what were they doing in Poland? And what they were doing was they went around village to village and just shot Jews and left them there. My mission find those mass graves, give these people some honor and dignity in their death, have a formal burial. I have a

1:02 Protestant minister, Catholic priest and the chief Rabbi of Poland and school children, and I erect a memorial and I’ve done nearly a fifty of those over the last fifteen years.

1:13 Speaker 1 Wow wow Wow. And tell us about the Israeli parade on the today Sunday.

1:21 Speaker 2 Yeah. So this is the seventy fifth anniversary of Israel’s existence, and it’s a great celebration and it’s all about taking pride in this nation that came back from history and Jews and non Jews. I know you, John, You’re someone who really is a supporter of Israel, and our community is very grateful for that. And it’s a time to

1:43 show a great deal of appreciation that we have a Jewish nation. There are challenges and problems there like we have everywhere, but this is a time for unity of the Jewish people to express our gratitude, pride and appreciation that we have a strong Jewish nation, great economy, great humanitarian country. Had send more people to Turkey than any

2:05 other nation except one when they had their earthquake, so they really do care about human rights and they’re just a powerhouse. So where we’re just delighted that we could make the celebration.

2:18 Speaker 1 Yeah, you’re correct. On Thursday night in New York, Honi Intrepid I was the honoree with the Auschlitz Foundation, which is raising money to help bring honor to the Jewish people, and Simon Berkson runs that. And also I was with Brian Mornihan, the CEO of Bank America and the Patriots, owner of Robert Kraft, and they started an organization about

2:47 anti Semitism, and I know Bank America donated ten million dollars towards this organization.

2:54 Speaker 2 Now that is amazing. I mean, you, John and those others. We love people like you because Jewish people feel we don’t have that many friends these days, so we are particularly grateful when people like you put your neck out and are willing to stand with your friends that support Israel.

3:12 It means the world to us.

3:14 Speaker 1 Now. The one point they brought out at the Bank America meeting that we had is that the Jewish population is two and a half percent of our country, but represent they get fifty five percent of the abuse in hatred, in hatred crimes. I mean that is a big number.

3:33 Speaker 2 Why such a big number, Yeah, you know, it’s a great question. I think the guilt after the Holocaust has largely subsided and all the forces that created anti Semitism for thousands of years are rearing its ugly head again.

3:51 And it comes down to a couple of factors. But one is jealousy, you know, and the notion that Jews do things collaboration with each other to the exclusion of others. You know. There’s this notion that if somebody’s Jewish, that they could reach out to another Jewish person and they’ll do business with them because they’re Jewish. It happens to

4:13 be ridiculous. I own a company, a technology company. I do more business with non Jews than I do with Jews. I’m more successful with Christians than I am with Jews.

4:24 Speaker 1 So well, I wrote, I wrote a book. I wrote a book. In the last it’s been the number one best seller in Wall Street Journal. And growing up or in business, I had twelve mentors. Most of those mentors were Jewish.

4:42 Speaker 2 There you go, There you go. You’re and you’re of Greek background.

4:46 Speaker 1 Yes, well you know, but I’m six percent Jewish. You know what that six percent means? And I’m twenty three and me it means either my great grandmother or great grandfather was Jewish.

4:58 Speaker 2 There you go. I didn’t know that, but that’s impressive. There you go. You have Jewish blood in you yes, that’s fascinating. I love it.

5:06 Speaker 1 Well, Holly, I’m gonna be there on fifth have you, waving at you as you go by, and have a great parade, and thank you for all the things you do for me.

5:16 Speaker 2 All Americans, mark march with me. I’m gonna make you a special dignitary. I could acknowledge one person. There is one Grand Marshall and one famous dignitary, and I’m gonna make this live. You the only person that I’m asking. You.

5:30 Don’t have to march the whole way, but march with me on fifty seventh Street to seventy fourth in the front of the parade. Do it.

5:37 Speaker 1 I will do it. Thank you so much, Holly, and I’ll see you on fifth. Have you